Abstract

SummaryBackgroundRising prevalence of non‐communicable diseases, including diabetes in the Middle East, is a major public health concern of the 21st century. However, there is a paucity of literature to understand and measure socio‐economic inequalities in diabetes prevalence in this region, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).MethodsThis study investigated socio‐economic inequalities in diabetes prevalence in the KSA using data from the Saudi Arabia Health Interview Survey. Concentration curve, concentration index, and multivariate logistic regression were used to measure and examine income‐ and education‐related inequalities in diabetes prevalence.ResultsThe results showed significant socio‐economic inequalities in the prevalence of diabetes through analysing a nationally representative sample of the KSA population. Diabetes prevalence was concentrated among the poor and among people with less education. In addition, education‐related inequality was higher than income‐related inequality.ConclusionsThe findings of this study are important for policymakers to combat both the increasing prevalence of and socio‐economic inequalities in diabetes. The government should promote health education programmes and increase the level of public awareness of diabetes management, especially among the lower educated population in the KSA.

Original language	en
Pages (from-to)	233-246
Volume	35
Issue number	1
Publication status	Published - 2020