Diabetes Prevalence

Regionally, the Ozarks Health Commission has a diabetes prevalence that is slightly higher than the Missouri average- roughly one in ten people in the OHC region have been diagnosed with diabetes. 

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Individually, there is some variation between communities- only 8.7% of residents in the Bolivar Community have been diagnosed with diabetes, but in the Monett Community the rate of diagnosis (12.5%) is more than 25% higher than the national average (9.5%).

Diabetes Risk Factors

Certain health behaviors and conditions can be indicative of diabetes risk and could make the disease more difficult to manage(2). For two of these indicators, poor physical health and obesity prevalence, the OHC Region performs poorly. Nearly 20% of individuals in the Mountain View Community have self-reported poor physical health and nearly one in three people in the OHC Region are obese. 

Annual Hemoglobin A1c Screening

Much like with cancer and heart disease, there are screening procedures that can assist in monitoring, managing, and potentially preventing a diabetes diagnosis. Regular hemoglobin A1c testing is commonplace in the OHC Region. In fact, nearly 85% of Medicare enrollees with diabetes are tested annually. (The CDC recommends those with diabetes should be tested at least twice a year and ‘more often if your medicine changes or you have other health conditions(3).’) This completion rate is slightly lower than both state and national averages, but an encouraging sign. Compliance in the Springfield and Bolivar Communities is near 90% and exceed those comparative averages.