Background: Several reports have demonstrated a relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) mainly in combat veterans. The relationship between PTSD and T2DM has not been evaluated among vulnerable migrant populations. The main objective of this study was therefore to assess the relationship between PTSD and T2DM among asylum seekers in the Netherlands. Methods: Analysis of a national electronic database of the Dutch Community Health Services for Asylum seekers aged 18 years (N=105180). Results: Asylum seekers with PTSD had a higher prevalence of T2DM compared with those without PTSD. The age-adjusted prevalence ratios (APR) were 1.40 (95 CI, 1.12-1.76) in men and 1.22 (95 CI, 0.95-1.56) in women compared with individuals without PTSD, respectively. There was an interaction between PTSD and comorbid depression (P<0.05) in men and women, indicating that the effect of PTSD and comorbid depression on T2DM differed. When the analyses were stratified by depression status, among non-depressed group, individuals with PTSD had a higher prevalence of T2DM compared with those without PTSD [APR=1.47 (95 CI, 1.15-1.87) in men and APR=1.27 (95 CI, 0.97-1.66) in women]. Among the depressed individuals, however, there was no association between PTSD and T2DM [APR=0.87 (95 CI, 0.43-1.76) in men, and APR=1.00, (95 CI, 0.54-1.83) in women]. Conclusion: The findings suggest that history of PTSD is related to high levels of T2DM among asylum seekers independent of comorbid depression. Clinicians and policy makers need to take PTSD into account when assessing and treating diabetes among vulnerable migrant populations. © 2011 The Author. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

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evaluation Vulnerable Populations vulnerable population Netherlands depression refugee psychological aspect non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 human Refugees comorbidity middle aged statistics Confidence Intervals ethnology Cross-Sectional Studies Confidence interval Young Adult cross-sectional study Humans Adolescent male Emigrants and Immigrants female prevalence Article adult migration posttraumatic stress disorder Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic