Ethnic Enclaves and Type II Diabetes: a Focus on Latino/Hispanic Americans

摘要

Diabetes disproportionately impacts the Latino population and while individual traditional risk factors are key, additional external factors, such as neighborhoods, may also affect diabetes rates. This review examines the role of living in an ethnic enclave, a neighborhood with a high Latino concentration, on diabetes and its risk factors for the Latino population in the United States (U.S.). Studies fail to find an association between living in an ethnic enclave and diabetes, despite research demonstrating that enclaves have a protective effect on other health outcomes for Latinos. When considering diabetes risk factors, the associations with ethnic enclaves are mixed. For Latinos, living in an ethnic enclave is associated with healthier diets and increased physical inactivity, while data are mixed for obesity prevalence. More research is needed to determine what aspects of an ethnic enclave have a protective effect against diabetes among Latinos.