The border counties, particularly Imperial County, have among the highest diabetes rates in the State of California. Risk factors for type 2 diabetes, such as obesity and a lack of physical activity are preventable and should be the focus of diabetes primary prevention programs. In the U.S. and California, Hispanic/Latino individuals, African- Americans, American-Indians and Pacific Islanders have a higher risk of type 2 diabetes (CDC, 2017).
According to CHIS data from 2016-2017, 9% of adults in San Diego County had ever been diagnosed with diabetes, as compared with 18% in Imperial County and 10% in California (CHIS, 2016-2017) (Fig. 3.1).