Prevalence and socioeconomic factors of diabetes: a population-based cross-sectional analysis from Jordan

Background Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a significant public health issue in Jordan. While several studies have investigated the biological and behavioural determinants' influence on diabetes mellitus incidence, prevalence and outcomes, few studies investigated socioeconomic factors. Moreover, the available Jordan-based literature lacks an investigation of the influence of socioeconomic factors on diabetes outcomes. This research seeks to evaluate the incidence of DM among the adult population of Jordan and examine the influence of significant socioeconomic variables. Methods The research team used the 2017-2018 Jordanian Demographic and Health Survey of individuals aged 40 and older. We used self-reported data to assess the prevalence and onset of diabetes. Descriptive and inferential analyses assessed the association between diabetes and the extracted socioeconomic variables. Results Of the 21 860 extracted records, 3443 (15.8%) were related to diabetic patients. Approximately, 60% of those who were diagnosed with DM were in the 40-59 years age range. Statistically significant associations were found between the prevalence of DM and socioeconomic factors. Older age and low educational attainment were significantly associated with a higher prevalence of DM. The wealth index and residential location were also significantly associated with DM prevalence. Conclusion The study findings emphasise the need for specifically tailored and delivered public health interventions targeting individuals with challenging socioeconomic factors such as older age and low educational attainment. Healthcare providers and policymakers should focus on delivering and sponsoring educational and awareness programmes to promote self-care and the adoption of health-seeking lifestyle behaviours and practices among unprivileged and at-risk local communities. Healthcare authorities could initiate community-based diabetes screening programmes targeting marginalised and at-risk groups.