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Physiological and behavioral risk factors of type 2 diabetes mellitus in rural India
  1. Anamitra Barik1,2,
  2. Sumit Mazumdar3,
  3. Abhijit Chowdhury1,4,
  4. Rajesh Kumar Rai1
  1. 1Society for Health and Demographic Surveillance, Suri, West Bengal, India
  2. 2Niramay TB Sanatorium and Chest Clinic, District Hospital, Suri, Birbhum, West Bengal, India
  3. 3Institute of Public Health Kalyani, Society for Health and Demographic Surveillance, Netaji Subhas Sanatorium (T.B. Hospital), Kalyani, West Bengal, India
  4. 4Department of Hepatology, School of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (IPGMER), Kolkata, West Bengal, India
  1. Correspondence to Rajesh Kumar Rai; rajesh.iips28{at}gmail.com

Abstract

Background The dynamics of physiological and behavioral risk factors of diabetes in rural India is poorly understood. Using data from a health and demographic surveillance site of Birbhum district in West Bengal, India, this study aims to assess the risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Research design and methods A total of 7674 individuals aged ≥18 years participated in a cross-sectional study. Venous plasma glucose method was used for measuring and reporting glucose concentrations in blood, categorized as individuals with diabetes, pre-diabetes or impaired, and normoglycemic. Aside from a set of physiological and behavioral risk factors, a range of socioeconomic confounders of diabetes was computed. Bivariate analysis with χ2 test, and multivariate ordered logit regression methods were deployed to attain the study's objective.

Results Overall 2.95% and 3.34% of study participants were diagnosed as individuals with diabetes and pre-diabetes or impaired, respectively. Compared to the poorest, the richest have higher probability (β: 0.730; 95% CI 0.378 to 1.083) of being diagnosed with diabetes. As compared to people with normal body mass index, overweight/obese people are more prone to being diagnosed with diabetes (β: 0.388; 95% CI 0.147 to 0.628). With a decreasing level of physical activity, people are more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes.

Conclusions To curb the level of diabetes, this study recommends a culturally sensitive, focused intervention for the adoption of physical activity with more traditional dietary practices, to control the level of overweight/obesity. Attention should be paid to relatively older patients with diabetes or adults with pre-diabetes.

  • Type 2 Diabetes
  • Physical Activity
  • Body Mass Index
  • Diet

This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

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