The goal of this study was to assess whether the racial disparities that have been reported in other areas of health care occur for patients with diabetes. Data were derived from the 1989 National Health Interview Survey, which included a representative sample of the U.S. civilian, non-institutionalized population aged 17+ years. From this sample, it was ascertained that 2,268 people had non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM).

The median number of visits/year to the patient’s usual physician for diabetes care was 4 for each ethnic group (African Americans, Mexican American, and non-Hispanic whites), although a slightly higher proportion of African Americans had no regular physician (13% for African Americans versus 7.4% for non-Hispanic whites and 10.9% for Mexican Americans). Mexican Americans and African Americans were more likely than whites to have seen their physician 7 or more times (31.7% and 30.8% versus 24.2% for whites).

Among patients with 2 or more complications, African Americans and Mexican Americans were more likely than whites to have no regular physician for diabetes care (16.1% and 15.8% versus 8.6%). On the other hand, among patients with 2 or more complications, African Americans and Mexican Americans were also more likely than whites to have visited their regular physician 7 or more times (38.4% and 41.1% versus 27.9%).

There were no race differences in factors associated with diet and eye-care. However, there were medication differences: African Americans were less likely to take oral hypoglycemic agents compared with the other two groups (39.7% versus 50% and 47.4%) and were more likely to take insulin. African Americans were more likely than Mexican Americans and whites to have had their feet checked at least twice in the past year (37.8% versus 29% and 29%). African Americans were more likely to receive diabetes education than the other two groups; however, the median number of hours was lower. Finally, among patients known to have hypertension, Mexican Americans were less likely than the other two groups to have their blood pressure checked regularly.

The author caution that “although our study indicates that major differences by race may not exist for access to medical care/extent of medical care, the higher rates of complications in African Americans and Hispanics with NIDDM provide evidence that medical care cannot be optimal for these two groups.”