PLoS ONE
Volume 12, Issue 1, 2017

Prevalence of diabetes among migrant women and duration of residence in the United Arab Emirates: A cross sectional study (Article) (Open Access)

Shah S.M. , Ali R. , Loney T. , Aziz F. , ElBarazi I. , Al Dhaheri S. , Farooqi M.H. , Blair I.
  • a Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
  • b Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates, Public Health Research Center, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
  • c Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
  • d Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
  • e Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
  • f Ambulatory Health Services, SEHA, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
  • g Dubai Diabetes Center, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
  • h Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Background: The prevalence rate of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is one of the highest in United Arab Emirates (UAE), however data for the expatriate population is limited. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of T2DM amongst migrant women and test the hypothesis that acculturation (measured by years of residency) is associated with an increased risk of T2DM. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study and we recruited a representative sample (n = 599, 75% participation rate) of migrant women aged 18 years and over in Al Ain, UAE. The American Diabetes Association criteria were used to diagnose T2DM. An adapted WHO STEPS questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic, lifestyle and clinical data. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify correlates of T2DM including length of UAE residence. Results: The mean age of participants was 34.1 (±9.5) years. Of the study participants, based on HbA1C levels, 18.6% (95% CI: 13.9-24.4) had prediabetes and 10.7% (95% CI: 7.2-15.6) had T2DM. Prevalence of prediabetes was 8.5% for Filipinos, 16.7% for Arabs and 30.3% for South Asians. Similarly the prevalence of T2DM was 1.7% for Filipinos, 12.2% for Arabs and 16.7% for South Asians. Significant correlates of overall T2DM (measured and known diabetes) included length of UAE residence for more than 10 years (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] 2.74, 95% CI: 1.21-6.20), age-40 years (AOR = 3.48, 95% CI: 1.53-7.87) and South Asian nationality (AOR 2.10, 95% CI: 0.94-4.70). Conclusion: Diabetes is a significant public health problem among migrant women in the UAE, particularly for South Asians. Longer length of residence in the UAE is associated with a higher prevalence of diabetes. © 2017 Shah et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

United Arab Emirates South Asian non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 human statistics and numerical data obesity Arab hemoglobin A1c Cross-Sectional Studies migrant worker cross-sectional study Humans Southeast Asia female Socioeconomic Factors socioeconomics prevalence Article Filipino (people) adult migration public health problem Transients and Migrants body mass Body Mass Index Philippines Asia, Southeastern impaired glucose tolerance
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85010007238&doi=10.1371%2fjournal.pone.0169949&partnerID=40&md5=8d9d517587c665eb8ec6eac949604570
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169949
ISSN: 19326203
Cited by: 8
Original Language: English