India is one of the most populous countries in the world. Despite free outpatient and inpatient care being available to its citizens, the nation is disproportionately burdened by the disease of diabetes (The Commonwealth Fund, 2020) in the Data Point podcast episode dedicated to the issue of diabetes in the country. The podcast examines the distribution of diabetes in India and the role of socioeconomic status and access to education in developing the condition.
Data Point focuses on the socioeconomic distribution of diabetes in the country. It is revealed that a higher prevalence of the disease can be witnessed in higher social classes (Data Point, 2023). According to Corsi and Subramanian (2019), 70-90% of the people diagnosed with diabetes in India belong to higher socioeconomic groups. Another conclusion is the role of continuity of care in successfully managing the disease. People from lower socioeconomic groups may not have regular access to health care. In contrast, higher social ranks benefit from continuous patient-centered care (Data Point, 2023). Despite a greater prevalence in upper social classes, persons from lower socioeconomic groups experience a grander scale of suffering from the ailment (Data Point, 2023). A further point raised in the podcast is the impact of education on the development of diabetes. The incidence of diabetes is higher among people with no primary or secondary education than among those with formal education (Data Point, 2023). Overall, socioeconomic status plays a crucial role in the development of the condition and in how it is addressed.
Notably, there are similarities in the socioeconomic distributions of diabetes in India and the United States. For example, lower education attainment is associated with higher risk and incidence of diabetes in both nations (Corsi & Subramanian, 2019; Hill-Briggs et al., 2020). However, in the United States, the incidence of diabetes lowers as the income bracket grows (Hill-Briggs et al., 2020). Thus, similar and divergent tendencies in the socioeconomic distribution of the diseases can be noted in the two countries.
In summary, diabetes is a severe condition affecting millions worldwide. In India, particular patterns of disease distribution in different social classes are noted. Although the illness is more prevalent among higher socioeconomic groups, more significant burdens are experienced by persons of lower social statuses due to the lack of access to continuous care. In addition, educational attainment plays a substantial role in the development of the condition.
References
Corsi, D. J., & Subramanian, S. V. (2019). Socioeconomic gradients and distribution of diabetes, hypertension, and obesity in India. JAMA Network Open, 2(4), 1−11. Web.
Data Point. (2023). What’s more important to control diabetes: Awareness or money? The Hindu. Web.
Hill-Briggs, F., Adler, N. E., Berkowitz, S. A., Chin, M. H., Gary-Webb, T. L., Navas-Acien, A., Thornton, P. L., & Haire-Joshu, D. (2020). Social determinants of health and diabetes: A scientific review. Diabetes Care, 44(1), 258−279. Web.
The Commonwealth Fund. (2020). International health Care system profiles: India. Web.