Identifying hotspots of type 2 diabetes risk using general practice data and geospatial analysis: An approach to inform policy and practice

Nasser Bagheri*, Paul Konings, Kinley Wangdi, Anne Parkinson, Soumya Mazumdar, Elizabeth Sturgiss, Aparna Lal, Kirsty Douglas, Nicholas Glasgow

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is increasing worldwide and there is a need to identify communities with a high-risk profile and to develop appropriate primary care interventions. This study aimed to predict future T2D risk and identify community-level geographic variations using general practices data. The Australian T2D risk assessment (AUSDRISK) tool was used to calculate the individual T2D risk scores using 55 693 clinical records from 16 general practices in west Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. Spatial clusters and potential 'hotspots' of T2D risk were examined using Local Moran's I and the Getis-Ord Gi∗ techniques. Further, the correlation between T2D risk and the socioeconomic status of communities were mapped. Individual risk scores were categorised into three groups: low risk (34.0% of participants), moderate risk (35.2% of participants) and high risk (30.8% of participants). Spatial analysis showed heterogeneity in T2D risk across communities, with significant clusters in the central part of the study area. These study results suggest that routinely collected data from general practices offer a rich source of data that may be a useful and efficient approach for identifying T2D hotspots across communities. Mapping aggregated T2D risk offers a novel approach to identifying areas of unmet need.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)43-51
Number of pages9
JournalAustralian Journal of Primary Health
Volume26
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 22 Nov 2019
Externally publishedYes

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