Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2010, 7(5), 2407-2422; doi:10.3390/ijerph7052407
Article

The Geography of Diabetes in London, Canada: The Need for Local Level Policy for Prevention and Management

Jordan W. Tompkins 1,2,* email, Isaac N. Luginaah 2 email, Gillian L. Booth 3,4,5 email and Stewart B. Harris 1 email
1 Centre for Studies in Family Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6G 4X8, Canada 2 Department of Geography, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C2, Canada 3 Institute of Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada 4 Department of Medicine and Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M6, Canada 5 Department of Medicine and the Keenan Research Centre in the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 11 March 2010; in revised form: 14 May 2010 / Accepted: 14 May 2010 / Published: 19 May 2010
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Behavior and Public Health)
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Abstract: Recent reports aimed at improving diabetes care in socially disadvantaged populations suggest that interventions must be tailored to meet the unique needs of the local community—specifically, the community’s geography. We have examined the spatial distribution of diabetes in the context of socioeconomic determinants of health in London (Ontario, Canada) to characterize neighbourhoods in an effort to target these neighbourhoods for local level community-based program planning and intervention. Multivariate spatial-statistical techniques and geographic information systems were used to examine diabetes rates and socioeconomic variables aggregated at the census tract level. Creation of a deprivation index facilitated investigation across multiple determinants of health. Findings from our research identified ‘at risk’ neighbourhoods in London with socioeconomic disadvantage and high diabetes. Future endeavours must continue to identify local level trends in order to support policy development, resource planning and care for improved health outcomes and improved equity in access to care across geographic regions.
Keywords: diabetes mellitus; London; Ontario; public health; geography; socioeconomic determinants of health; health behaviours; health interventions

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MDPI and ACS Style

Tompkins, J.W.; Luginaah, I.N.; Booth, G.L.; Harris, S.B. The Geography of Diabetes in London, Canada: The Need for Local Level Policy for Prevention and Management. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2010, 7, 2407-2422.

AMA Style

Tompkins JW, Luginaah IN, Booth GL, Harris SB. The Geography of Diabetes in London, Canada: The Need for Local Level Policy for Prevention and Management. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2010; 7(5):2407-2422.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tompkins, Jordan W.; Luginaah, Isaac N.; Booth, Gillian L.; Harris, Stewart B. 2010. "The Geography of Diabetes in London, Canada: The Need for Local Level Policy for Prevention and Management." Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 7, no. 5: 2407-2422.

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