Diabetes and Metabolism
Volume 33, Issue 1, 2007, Pages 30-36

Increased prevalence of diabetes among immigrants from non-European countries in 60-year-old men and women in Sweden (Article)

Wändell P.-E.* , Wajngot A. , de Faire U. , Hellénius M.-L.
  • a Center for Family and Community Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 12, allé Alfred-Nobels, SE-141 83 Huddinge, Sweden
  • b Center for Family and Community Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 12, allé Alfred-Nobels, SE-141 83 Huddinge, Sweden
  • c Division of Cardiovascular Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Stockholm, Sweden, Department of Cardiology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
  • d Center for Family and Community Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 12, allé Alfred-Nobels, SE-141 83 Huddinge, Sweden

Abstract

Aims: To estimate the prevalence of risk factors for diabetes in subjects of foreign origin compared to Swedish-born. Methods: A cross-sectional study with subjects included from a random sample of the population of in Stockholm County, Sweden, among 60-year-old men and women. Number in the analyzed groups were Swedish-born n = 3329, immigrants from Europe n = 654, and immigrants from non-European countries n = 123. The health screening including physical examination, laboratory testing and a questionnaire on medical, socioeconomic and life-style factors. Results: Men showed a higher prevalence of diabetes than women, 9.7% vs. 5.1% (P < 0.001). Among European immigrants, no excess risk was present compared to Swedish-born subjects, 7.6% vs. 6.9%, sex-adjusted odds ratio (OR): 1.14 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.83-1.57). Among non-European immigrants, prevalence of diabetes was two times higher, i.e. 14.6%, sex-adjusted OR: 2.19 (95% CI: 1.30-3.69), compared to Swedish-born subjects. When also adjusting for anthropometrical, socioeconomic and life-style factors, ORs were for European immigrants 0.95 (95% CI: 0.68-1.33), and non-European immigrants OR: 1.21 (95% CI: 0.65-2.26). Beside sex, i.e. female OR: 0.50 (95% CI: 0.38-0.66), the only significant covariate in full model was BMI-category, i.e. overweight OR: 1.83 (95% CI: 1.29-2.59), and obesity OR: 4.64 (95% CI: 3.25-6.63). Conclusions: The prevalence of diabetes was found to be considerably higher among immigrants from non-European countries in Sweden. The excess risk was associated with above all to a higher BMI. © 2007 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Author Keywords

Population Sweden Gender Ethnicity Diabetes mellitus Immigration Prevalence

Index Keywords

educational status immigrant insulin resistance Europe human Overweight diabetes mellitus controlled study obesity diet geographic distribution Sweden Humans sexual development Sex Characteristics male female risk factor population research prevalence Article major clinical study migration Emigration and Immigration body mass Physical Examination Body Mass Index
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-34247194183&doi=10.1016%2fj.diabet.2006.07.001&partnerID=40&md5=6ba7fbd09ddd380b33745ea6fbba0ea9
DOI: 10.1016/j.diabet.2006.07.001
ISSN: 12623636
Cited by: 33
Original Language: English