What this means for Black residents of Missouri
That figure runs materially above the US national average of 11.6 %.
Type 2 diabetes prevalence among Black adults exceeds the white rate in every US state for which BRFSS reports race-stratified estimates. The drivers in Missouri reflect the national pattern: neighborhood food-access disparities (historically redlined tracts have measurably fewer full-service grocery stores per capita), lower rates of bariatric surgery referral for Black patients with similar BMI, and documented disparities in the prescription of newer GLP-1 agonists — Black patients are offered these agents at lower rates despite equivalent or greater indication. Community Health Worker programs that link diabetes education to grocery access have shown the strongest evidence base.
The figures on this page are drawn from CDC BRFSS Prevalence & Trends, which is the canonical public dataset for this indicator. See the References section below for supporting citations from MMWR, NEJM, and JAMA where the underlying drivers have been studied.
Policy actions
Policy levers at the state level for this indicator include Medicaid coverage scope, provider workforce investments, and data transparency mandates. The state's health department publishes the specific programs currently funded via its annual state health plan.
Where to get help in Missouri
- Find an endocrinologist or diabetes educator in Missouri: Black Health directory
- CDC National Diabetes Prevention Program finder: cdc.gov/diabetes-prevention
- Community Health Worker diabetes-education programs are run out of most FQHCs.
References & primary sources
- Primary dataset: CDC BRFSS Prevalence & Trends
- CDC Diabetes Surveillance System. gis.cdc.gov/grasp/diabetes
- Haw JS et al. Diabetes Complications Severity Index and race/ethnicity. Endocr Pract. 2020.
Data refreshed:
Where to go next
A number changes nothing on its own. These are the Missouri pages that act on it.
Programs you can use in Missouri
WIC covers pregnant women, infants, and children under 5. SNAP covers groceries. TANF covers low-income families with kids. Anyone on Missouri Medicaid is already income-eligible for WIC.
States ranked next to Missouri on diabetes prevalence
- Georgia 16.10 % of Black adults · ranked 10 of 51
- Ohio 15.90 % of Black adults · ranked 12 of 51
- Texas 15.60 % of Black adults · ranked 15 of 51
- North Carolina 15.40 % of Black adults · ranked 16 of 51