Risk Factors and Healthcare Disparities in Type 2 Diabetes Across Tennessee
As part of my Data Analytics & Visualization course, our team partnered with the Tennessee Justice Center (TJC) to analyze Type 2 diabetes across the state. Using Power BI, I explored the social and behavioral factors influencing prevalence rates and presented findings to TJC representatives.
Executive Summary
This research provided the Tennessee Justice Center (TJC) with localized insights to support public education, inform community outreach, and advocate for expanded access to healthcare and nutrition programs across the state. By addressing systemic gaps in nutrition, preventative care, and physical health, Tennessee can move toward improved early detection and long-term prevention of diabetes.
Diabetes is a significant public health challenge across Tennessee. One in seven adults in the state is diagnosed, with many more likely undetected due to limited access to screening and care. Our project analyzed the prevalence of diabetes at the county level, exploring how nutrition, primary care access, and physical health behaviors contribute to health disparities across communities.
Diabetes in Tennessee: Why This Research Matters
Tennessee faces one of the highest rates of Type 2 diabetes in the nation, with prevalence ranging from 6.7% to nearly 13% depending on the county. Rural areas and communities with limited healthcare access are particularly at risk.
The heat map highlights how widespread the issue is across the state, showing that diabetes is not isolated to one region but a systemic challenge. Our research project with the Tennessee Justice Center aimed to better understand the risk factors such as nutrition, access to primary care, and physical activity that contribute to these disparities.
Research Questions
What role does nutrition play in diabetes prevalence across Tennessee?
What is the role of resident primary care in relation to diabetes?
What does resident physical health play in relation to diabetes prevalance?
Problems & Opportunities
The Tennessee Justice Center works to improve the health and well-being of residents across the state. Diabetes prevalence continues to rise, straining families, healthcare systems, and communities. Contributing factors include poor nutrition, lack of preventative care, and barriers to regular medical access. These challenges are heightened in rural and minority communities, where systemic inequities and food insecurity are most severe.
Despite these challenges, opportunities exist to improve outcomes. Public education can help residents recognize risk factors and adopt healthier habits. Policy reform, such as Medicaid expansion and increased investment in food and community health programs, can reduce barriers to care. By conducting a county-level analysis, our project helped TJC identify geographic and demographic trends, allowing them to focus outreach and resources on the areas of greatest need.
Analysis
To begin our analysis, we collected and cleaned state-level datasets on diabetes prevalence, nutrition, access to care, and physical health behaviors. We then used Power BI to create dashboards that uncovered patterns across Tennessee, comparing diabetes prevalence against three major factors: nutrition, primary care access, and physical health.
Nutrition — Food environment and access to healthy food.
Access to Primary Care — Availability of providers and insurance coverage.
Physical Health — Obesity, inactivity, and smoking.
By mapping counties across these variables, we identified areas where overlapping risks created particularly severe health outcomes. This allowed us to highlight communities that face both high diabetes prevalence and limited resources.
Conclusion & Impact
This project gave the Tennessee Justice Center actionable insights into how nutrition, primary care, and physical health disparities shape diabetes outcomes across the state. The Power BI dashboards and county-level analysis we created can be used in advocacy efforts, community education, and policy proposals. By highlighting the communities most at risk, our research provided a foundation for targeted outreach and long-term preventative strategies.
Reflection
This project was my first experience applying Power BI to a real-world issue with direct community impact. I learned how to transform public health data into clear, visual insights that could be shared with non-technical stakeholders. Presenting our findings to the TJC panel taught me the importance of tailoring data communication to audiences who are focused on advocacy and outcomes rather than technical detail.
Beyond technical growth, this project showed me how analytics can uncover systemic inequities and provide tools for organizations working toward change. It strengthened both my confidence in using data visualization and my motivation to apply data analysis in ways that support meaningful, socially impactful work.