SPATIAL-TEMPORAL PATTERNS OF DIABETES PREVALENCE IN ROMANIAN COUNTIES BETWEEN 2012-2021: INSIGHTS FROM THE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF TIME SERIES

Authors

  • Cristina Gena DASCĂLU ‟Grigore Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iași
  • Magda Ecaterina ANTOHE ‟Grigore Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iași

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22551/5h2fqw58

Abstract

Our study investigates the evolution of Diabetes prevalence in Romania across a 10-year period (2012-2021) by applying comparative time series analysis techniques to epidemiological data recorded from all 41 counties of Romania, as well as Bucharest. Materials and methods: The main goal was to highlight the similarities and differences between counties, through several methods: the distance-based analysis of the observed values (Euclidean distances) and trends (Manhattan distance), followed by the study of correlations between the standardized Z-scores of the original values and the counties Hierarchical Clustering. Results: Our findings revealed significant geographical similarities, confirmed simultaneously by two or more methods among the four involved. These results are exemplified with the particular case of Iasi county, which was found as having a similar behavior with Arges, Dolj and Bihor counties according to the previously stated condition; the in-depth analysis of socio-demographic features explains the detected similarities. Conclusions: The study highlights the added value of time series analysis over classical cross-sectional approaches, as it enables the detection of more complex relationships between the raw epidemiological data, expressed through trends, statistical anomalies, or regional clusters. Such results have direct implications in optimizing the public health policy, particularly required in chronic diseases like diabetes.

Author Biographies

  • Cristina Gena DASCĂLU, ‟Grigore Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iași

    Faculty of Medicine
    Department of Preventive Medicine and Interdisciplinarity

  • Magda Ecaterina ANTOHE, ‟Grigore Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Iași

    Faculty of Dental Medicine
    Department of Implantology, Removable Prostheses, Dental Prostheses Technology

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Additional Files

Published

2025-07-08

Issue

Vol. 129 No. 2 (2025): The Medical-Surgical Journal

Section

INTERNAL MEDICINE - PEDIATRICS

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