Diabetes mellitus, race, and socioeconomic status. A population-based study - PubMed (original) (raw)

Comparative Study

Diabetes mellitus, race, and socioeconomic status. A population-based study

F L Brancati et al. Ann Epidemiol. 1996 Jan.

Free article

Abstract

To identify factors associated with diabetes mellitus and to determine whether racial differences in these factors, especially socioeconomic status, explain the high prevalence of diabetes among African-Americans, we performed a cross-sectional study using a population-based, representative sample from three US communities. The participants comprised 975 white and 418 African-American adults, aged 35 to 54 years. The main outcome variable was the presence of diabetes defined by either self-report or abnormal results on the oral glucose tolerance test (serum glucose level > 10.0 mmol/L (180 mg/dL) 1 hour after 50-g oral glucose dose). Compared to their white counterparts, African-American participants were more overweight, displayed greater central adiposity, and had lower socioeconomic status. Diabetes was over twice as prevalent among African-Americans (10.3%) as compared to whites (4.6%; odds ratio (OR) = 2.38; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.50, 3.75; P = 0.0001). After adjustments for racial differences in age, socioeconomic status, overweight, and central adiposity, African-Americans remained over twice as likely to have diabetes compared to whites (OR = 2.35; 95% CI: 1.49, 3.73; P = 0.0003). The excess prevalence of diabetes in African-Americans was greatest in individuals of low socioeconomic status (OR = 4.09) and least among individuals of high socioeconomic status (OR = 1.90; P < 0.001 for trend). Racial differences in obesity and socioeconomic status do not appear to explain fully the higher prevalence of diabetes among African-Americans. African-American race seems to be a strong, independent risk factor for diabetes, especially among individuals of low socioeconomic status.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

Similar articles

Cited by

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources