A new study suggests that college graduates in America are more efficient in managing and preventing diabetes than those who did not graduate.
Kyle Chapman of the University of Kansas said that essentially those with a college degree or more education were benefitting more from the positive health behavior of physical activity than other groups.
In the study, researchers analysed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2012 that combined interviews, physical exams and laboratory tests.
Chapman said that the findings seemed to support past research that has shown that people of higher levels of education tend to have access to environments that were more conducive to exercise and healthier lifestyles, such as gym memberships or living in nicer neighborhoods that encourage walking.
He added that college graduates could likely work in jobs that give them more financial stability and flexibility that would allow them to live with fewer social stressors.
The study doesn't recommend steps to correct the disparities, but it should serve as a starting point for discussions on how to address preventing and managing diabetes, especially among individuals for whom the current practices are less effective, Chapman said.
Chapman further said that this was real, and if they continue down this road, they were going to help the college educated more than they were helping the less educated, adding that the less educated were the people who actually need it more.