2 Prevalence of Diabetes in Columbus Georgia Jasmine Fields Columbia Southern University Health Behavior PUH 5304 Dr. Williams October 11, 2022 Prevalence of Diabetes in Columbus Georgia At first glance, Columbus, Georgia, looks like one of the most beautiful cities in America. The city is blessed with amazing parks and trails, with the scenes made even more beautiful by the Chattahoochee River and its riverwalk. The city also has a lot of history, displayed in various sites such as the Columbus Museum. The region also has a diverse population, with an African American majority, followed closely by a Caucasian population. There are also other races living in the region, showing how diverse the community is. However, under all this beauty lies a concerning statistic hurting many regional residents. There has been a rise in the number of cases of diabetes in the region, with some areas, such as Wynnton, having an estimated 24.6% of its residents diagnosed with diabetes (Huang et al., 2022). This rate places Wynnton at the 99th percentile for national prevalence. However, the most disturbing fact about this is that neighborhoods around Wynnton have significantly lower numbers of diabetes diagnoses, registering only 8% of reported diabetes cases. While this is still relatively high, it is nearly a third of the residents of Wynnton present. Identifying the Target Population To properly understand diabetes in Columbus, it is essential to understand the population breakdown in the area. Using Wyntonn as the sample, due to their large population afflicted by diabetes, the target population can be found by analyzing those affected by diabetes in Wynnton as a representation of Columbus. The population in Columbus is estimated to be 210 295 as of 2022, with 46.46% of the individuals in the region being African American, 42.47% being white, and other races closing the population (Huang et al., 2022). In Wynton, the population is generally black, with 64.1% of the residents in the region being African American, with Whites making up 27.4% of the population. Figure 1 presents the graphical representation of Wynnton residents in 2019 (City Data, 2022). The difference in racial makeup between Wynnton and the rest of Columbus and the high prevalence of diabetes shows that the target population for those affected by diabetes is primarily African American. Figure 1: Racial Breakdown in Wynnton, Columbus. The median household income in Wynnton is also significantly lower than in the rest of Columbus. While the median household income in Georgia is $61,980, the median household income in Wynnton is $39,628 (City Data, 2022). This shows that compared to other residents in Columbus, most of the population in Columbus is relatively poor. This presents another aspect of the target population. The population most affected by diabetes, using the residents of Wynnton as the sample, are likely to have a low median household income and to be African American.

1. 2
Prevalence of Diabetes in Columbus Georgia
Jasmine Fields
Columbia Southern University
Health Behavior PUH 5304
Dr. Williams
October 11, 2022
Prevalence of Diabetes in Columbus Georgia
At first glance, Columbus, Georgia, looks like one of the
most beautiful cities in America. The city is blessed with
amazing parks and trails, with the scenes made even more
beautiful by the Chattahoochee River and its riverwalk. The city
also has a lot of history, displayed in various sites such as the
Columbus Museum. The region also has a diverse population,
with an African American majority, followed closely by a
Caucasian population. There are also other races living in the
region, showing how diverse the community is.
However, under all this beauty lies a concerning statistic
hurting many regional residents. There has been a rise in the
number of cases of diabetes in the region, with some areas, such
as Wynnton, having an estimated 24.6% of its residents
diagnosed with diabetes (Huang et al., 2022). This rate places
Wynnton at the 99th percentile for national prevalence.
However, the most disturbing fact about this is that
neighborhoods around Wynnton have significantly lower
numbers of diabetes diagnoses, registering only 8% of reported
diabetes cases. While this is still relatively high, it is nearly a

2. third of the residents of Wynnton present.
Identifying the Target Population
To properly understand diabetes in Columbus, it is essential to
understand the population breakdown in the area. Using
Wyntonn as the sample, due to their large population afflicted
by diabetes, the target population can be found by analyzing
those affected by diabetes in Wynnton as a representation of
Columbus. The population in Columbus is estimated to be 210
295 as of 2022, with 46.46% of the individuals in the region
being African American, 42.47% being white, and other races
closing the population (Huang et al., 2022). In Wynton, the
population is generally black, with 64.1% of the residents in the
region being African American, with Whites making up 27.4%
of the population. Figure 1 presents the graphical representation
of Wynnton residents in 2019 (City Data, 2022). The difference
in racial makeup between Wynnton and the rest of Columbus
and the high prevalence of diabetes shows that the target
population for those affected by diabetes is primarily African
American.
Figure 1: Racial Breakdown in Wynnton, Columbus.
The median household income in Wynnton is also
significantly lower than in the rest of Columbus. While the
median household income in Georgia is $61,980, the median
household income in Wynnton is $39,628 (City Data, 2022).
This shows that compared to other residents in Columbus, most
of the population in Columbus is relatively poor. This presents
another aspect of the target population. The population most
affected by diabetes, using the residents of Wynnton as the
sample, are likely to have a low median household income and
to be African American (Data Commons, 2022).
There are more females than males in Wynnton. However,
the difference between males and females is relatively small,
and both genders are equally affected by the illness. Most of the
residents in the region are between 10-36, showing that the
population is relatively young. Figure 2 shows the age

3. distribution of residents in Wynnton. The figure shows that the
target population is between 15 and 50, as these are most of the
population affected by diabetes (City Data, 2022).
Figure 2: Age distribution of residents in Wynnton
Wynnton also has one of the lowest education attainment
rates in Columbus and Georgia. 28% of residents in Wynnton
have less than a high school education, which is relatively high
considering Georgia has less than 10% of its residents having
less than a high school education (City Data, 2022). Figure 3
shows the educational attainment levels of residents in Wynnton
and Georgia. It shows that the target population is also the ones
who are less educated.
Relationship Between Diabetes and the Target Population
Education plays a significant impact in the prevalence of
diabetes. Individuals who are more educated are more aware of
the impacts of diabetes and are aware of the best ways to avoid
it (Galicia-Garcia, 2020). This means that individuals who do
not have a good education are more likely to have a higher
chance of contracting the disease. Economic status also plays a
role in the prevalence of diabetes. Those who are financially
better off are more likely to purchase better-quality food, which
is often healthier. Low-income families often rely on cheap
food, which is often unhealthy and increases the likelihood of
the person developing diabetes (Galicia-Garcia, 2020). Age is
also a factor. As a person grows older, their metabolism slows
down. This means that they cannot process food as they did, and
if the person is not aware of this through education or cannot
afford healthy food, they may develop diabetes if they continue
to eat the same way.
Research shows that those with diabetes generally have
relatively modest backgrounds, low education, and often range
from 45 to above. In America, African Americans are often
affected mainly by diabetes (Huang et al., 2022). This show that
research corroborates what is happening in Wynnton and, by

4. extension, in Columbus, Georgia. It shows a relationship
between these factors and the prevalence of diabetes in the
region.
References
City Data. (2022, January 1).
Wynnton neighborhood in Columbus, Georgia (GA),
31906 subdivision profile - real estate, apartments, condos,
homes, community, population, jobs, income, streets. Retrieved
October 12, 2022, from
http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Wynnton-
Columbus-GA.html
Data Commons. (2022).
Columbus - Place Explorer - Data Commons. Retrieved
October 12, 2022, from
https://datacommons.org/place/geoId/1319007?utm_medium=ex
plore
Galicia-Garcia, U., Benito-Vicente, A., Jebari, S., Larrea-Sebal,
A., Siddiqi, H., Uribe, K. B., & Martín, C. (2020).
Pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes mellitus.
International journal of molecular sciences,
21(17), 6275.
Huang, J., Yeung, A. M., Nguyen, K. T., Xu, N. Y., Preiser, J.
C., Rushakoff, R. J., & Klonoff, D. C. (2022). Hospital Diabetes
Meeting 2022.
Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology,
16(5), 1309-1337.
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