Description:
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Background</jats:title><jats:p>Diabetes mellitus accounts for 11% of total health expenditure worldwide, and most people with diabetes live in low‐ and middle‐income countries. The present study examined the economic and social effects attributed to diabetes in <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">S</jats:styled-content>udan by calculating out‐of‐pocket medical expenses and the health and social effects of the disease for people with diabetes (<jats:italic>n</jats:italic> <jats:italic>=</jats:italic> 375) and their families compared with a non‐diabetic control group (<jats:italic>n</jats:italic> <jats:italic>=</jats:italic> 375), matched for age, sex, and residence area.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>Data were obtained in 2013 in four states within the <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">S</jats:styled-content>udan, via structured interviews, using instruments from the <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">I</jats:styled-content>nternational <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">D</jats:styled-content>iabetes <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">F</jats:styled-content>ederation. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze differences between case and control participants.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>The median total annual medical expenditure was fourfold higher for people with than without diabetes (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">US</jats:styled-content>$579 vs <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">US</jats:styled-content>$148, respectively). Annual mean expenditure was 85% higher for those with diabetes (<jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">US</jats:styled-content>$1004 vs <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">US</jats:styled-content>$544). People with diabetes were also significantly more likely to suffer from serious comorbidities, such as cardiovascular disorders and foot ulcers, compared with control participants. Moreover, those with diabetes reported a higher proportion of personal adverse social effects, such as being prevented from doing paid work or participating in education, both for themselves and their families.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title><jats:p>The high economic burden and adverse social effects on people with diabetes and their families in <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">S</jats:styled-content>udan call for the development of evidence‐based policy and program strategies for the prevention and management of diabetes, with an emphasis on low‐resource communities.</jats:p></jats:sec>