Caribbean Women Face Higher Obesity and Diabetes Amid Socioeconomic Struggles. A Cross-Sectional Study

This cross-sectional study examined gender disparities in health outcomes across 30 Caribbean nations, focusing on the intersection of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), reproductive health, and socioeconomic inequality. Using publicly available data from the Pan American Health Organization, United Nations Development Programme, and International Diabetes Federation, we first identified significantly higher obesity prevalence (43.88% vs. 29.77%) and a greater proportion of diabetes-related deaths among women (13.21% vs. 10.17%) in the Caribbean compared to men. We then compared regional outcomes to high-income neighbors in North America, selecting the U.S. and Canada as reference countries. The Caribbean showed substantially higher maternal mortality (9.39 vs. 1.41 per 10,000 live births) and infant mortality (11.58 vs. 5 per 1,000 live births), as well as lower Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index scores (0.556 vs. 0.839). Socioeconomic disparities were also pronounced, with higher rates of food insecurity (41.71% vs. 8.15%) and female unemployment (10.67% vs. 4.45%) in the Caribbean. Together, these findings reveal how interlocking health and social vulnerabilities disproportionately affect women in the region. Addressing these disparities will require coordinated policy action that extends beyond healthcare access to target the structural determinants driving gendered health inequities.