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diabetes prevalence West Virginia Ranked 4 of 51

Black diabetes prevalence in West Virginia

16.80

% of Black adults

16.8% of Black adults in West Virginia have been diagnosed with diabetes — compared to the US all-race rate of 11.6%.

US national average: 11.60 % of Black adults

Primary source: CDC BRFSS Prevalence & Trends

What this means for Black residents of West Virginia

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 West Virginia 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 West Virginia

References & primary sources

  1. Primary dataset: CDC BRFSS Prevalence & Trends
  2. CDC Diabetes Surveillance System. gis.cdc.gov/grasp/diabetes
  3. 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 West Virginia pages that act on it.

Find a Black doctor in West Virginia Our directory of Black clinicians, filtered by specialty, insurance, and city. 370 community health centers in West Virginia Sliding-scale fees, uninsured welcome. Compare services and hours before you call. Medicaid in West Virginia Who qualifies, how to apply, and what the program covers.

Programs you can use in West Virginia

WIC covers pregnant women, infants, and children under 5. SNAP covers groceries. TANF covers low-income families with kids. Anyone on West Virginia Medicaid is already income-eligible for WIC.

WIC in West Virginia SNAP in West Virginia TANF in West Virginia

States ranked next to West Virginia on diabetes prevalence

More Black health data for West Virginia

Maternal mortality Infant mortality Cardiovascular mortality Breast cancer mortality Prostate cancer mortality Life expectancy Uninsured rate Medicaid coverage Mental health access

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