Does Where You Live Matter? : Physical characteristics of neighbourhoods and Type 2 Diabetes in Toronto ; a cross sectional survey of ethnoracial groups living in St. James Town and Flemingdon Park

The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of neighbourhood on type 2 diabetes among a sample of immigrants attending diabetes education programs in Toronto. Flemingdon Park (FP) has higher overall rates of diabetes than does St. James Town (SJ), even though both areas share similar socio-economic and immigrant profiles. A cross-sectional survey administered to participants of Diabetes Education Programs at Flemingdon and Sherbourne Health Centres asked questions about proximity of resources such as grocery stores, walking, biking trails, parks, access to and availability of recreation sites, public transit, social support and self-reported health status. The results provide individual-level information on the impact of neighbourhood and other social determinants on type 2 diabetes among a sample of immigrants. While the results support the notion that 'where you live' does matter, bigger sample size and further study are needed.