Abstract
Aims
To quantify relationships between societal-level factors and diabetes prevalence and
identify potential policy responses.
Methods
Using data from International Diabetes Federation, World Health Organization, World
Bank, and Food and Agricultural Organization, we extracted recent estimates for country-level
variables: total caloric availability; sugar, animal fat, fruit and vegetable availability;
physical inactivity markers (vehicles per capita and value-added from service sector);
gross domestic product per capita (GDP); imports; and age-adjusted mortality rate.
We used generalized linear models to investigate relationships between these factors
and diabetes prevalence.
Results
Median global diabetes prevalence was 6.4% in 2010. Every additional percentage point
of calories from sugar/sweeteners and from animal fats were associated with 5% (OR:
1.05, 95% CI 1.02–1.07) and 3% (OR: 1.03, 95% CI 0.99–1.06) higher diabetes prevalence,
respectively, while each additional unit in fruit and vegetable availability was associated
with 3% lower diabetes prevalence (OR: 0.97, 95% CI 0.93–0.99). One percent higher
GDP from the service industry was associated with a 1% higher diabetes prevalence
(OR: 1.01, 95% CI 0.99–1.02).
Conclusion
Macro-level societal factors are associated with diabetes prevalence. Investigating
how these factors affect individual-level diabetes risk may offer further insight
into policy-level interventions.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: December 22, 2011
Accepted:
November 14,
2011
Received in revised form:
November 7,
2011
Received:
August 17,
2011
Identification
Copyright
© 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
