Context: Diabetes poses a significant threat to public health in the United States, with an estimated total prevalence of 37.3 million individuals in 2019, of which 28.7 million were diagnosed and 8.5 million remained undiagnosed. The high prevalence of diabetes imposes a considerable economic burden on the U.S. healthcare system. Appalachian Ohio is disproportionately impacted with southeastern Ohio exhibiting a diabetes prevalence that exceeds the national average by more than twofold and a critical shortage of healthcare providers. Objective: To quantify the associations between diabetes prevalence and incidence in Ohio counties, considering various factors that impact health and quality-of-life outcomes. Methods: The data used in this study were obtained from the United States Diabetes Surveillance System (USDSS) on the 88 counties in Ohio. Pearson correlation tests were employed to investigate the relationship between diabetes (prevalence and incidence) and social determinants of health. A t-test and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) test were performed to analyze the disparities in diabetes and social determinants between Appalachian and non-Appalachian counties. Results: The results of this study demonstrate notable disparities in diabetes prevalence between Appalachian and non-Appalachian counties ( P < .001, α = .05). Furthermore, the MANOVA test revealed significant differences between these 2 groups regarding social determinants of health ( P < .05). Conclusion: These findings suggest that Appalachian counties may face a disproportionate impact from health-related factors and experience limited access to healthcare services. The data highlight the need for focused efforts to address the specific challenges faced by Appalachian counties. Improving access to healthcare services in the Appalachian region is paramount to ensure equitable healthcare and enhance the overall health outcomes of affected communities.

Background: Drug overdoses have had a devastating impact on public health in Ohio. Improving our understand-ing of the relationships between factors that are associated with drug overdose deaths can enhance the quality of public policy and health care reach in Ohio. Methods: Utilizing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, this research seeks to quantify the associations between the drug overdose rate for counties in Ohio with various factors via statistical regressions. Results: The overwhelming majority of drug/alcohol overdose deaths during the years 2017-2019 were uninten-tional. Drug overdose deaths and life expectancy are strongly associated. Communities with higher overdose rates have lower life expectancies. Socioeconomic status and health care factors, such as mental distress and physical inactivity, are significantly correlated with increased drug overdose deaths. Household income is significantly correlated with increased access to health care, implying that communities of lower socioeconomic status may lack adequate access to quality care and suffer from increased overdose deaths. Conclusion: The data indicate the importance of access to health care and health care providers in response to drug overdoses in Ohio. Health care access is currently proportional to income; higher income households have a greater proportion of insured, as well as a greater number of primary care physicians. Thus, implementing policies that support health care infrastructure should be prioritized to increase the capacity of treatment in under-resourced (low-income and low socioeconomic status) communities.