Self-reported diabetes treatment among Chinese middle-aged and older adults with diabetes: Comparison of urban residents, migrants in urban settings, and rural residents

Purpose To compare self-reported diabetes treatments among Chinese urban residents, rural migrants in urban settings, and rural residents. Methods Data from 993 diabetics at least 45 years of age were collected from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study conducted in 2011. Multiple logistic regressions were performed to examine the associations between individual characteristics and diabetes treatments. Results In total, 719/993 (72.4%) of the respondents received treatment for diabetes; of which < 8% used insulin therapy. Urban residents were more likely than rural residents to use insulin therapy [odds ratio (OR) = 0.44, confidence interval (CI): 0.20-0.99; p < 0.05], and more likely to use traditional Chinese medicine than migrants (OR = 0.30, CI: 0.10-0.96; p < 0.05). Overall, rural residents showed lower treatment rates than urban and migrant populations. Conclusion Efforts to improve and enhance diabetes treatments, particularly among rural residents, are urgently needed in China.