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OBJECTIVE To examine whether patterns in socioeconomic characteristics in Chicago over a 30-year period are associated with neighborhood distribution of youth diabetes risk.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Incident cases of diabetes in youth aged 0-17 years were identified from the Chicago Childhood Diabetes Registry between 1994 and 2003. Those with a type 2 diabetes like clinical course or related indicators were classified as non type 1 diabetic; the remaining cases were considered to have type 1 diabetes.

RESULTS Compared with stable diversity neighborhoods, significant associations for type 1 diabetes were found for younger children residing in emerging low-income neighborhoods (relative risk 0.56 [95% CI 0.36-0.90]) and older children residing in emerging high-income neighborhoods (1.52 [1.17-1.98]). For non type 1 diabetes, older youth residing in desertification neighborhoods were at increased risk (1.47 [1.09-1.99]).

CONCLUSIONS Neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics in Chicago may be associated with the risk of diabetes in youth.