Addressing the social determinants of health may improve diabetes outcomes, according to a review published in the July issue of Health Affairs.

Leonard E. Egede, M.D., from the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review to identify studies evaluating nonmedical interventions (e.g., those targeting social determinants of health) to reduce risk and improve clinical outcomes for type 2 diabetes.

The researchers found that interventions with targeted, multicomponent designs that combine both medical and nonmedical approaches can reduce risk and improve clinical outcomes for type 2 diabetes. Food supplementation with referral and diabetes support; financial incentives with education and skills training; housing relocation with counseling support; and the integration of nonmedical interventions into medical care using the electronic medical record all were associated with significant improvement in hemoglobin A1C.

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