Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
International Journal for Equity in Health
Published in: International Journal for Equity in Health 1/2009

Open Access 01-12-2009 | Research

Gender-specific epidemiology of diabetes: a representative cross-sectional study

Authors: Janet F Grant, Neville Hicks, Anne W Taylor, Catherine R Chittleborough, Patrick J Phillips, The North West Adelaide Health Study Team

Published in: International Journal for Equity in Health | Issue 1/2009

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

Diabetes and its associated complications are part of a chronic disease global epidemic that presents a public health challenge. Epidemiologists examining health differences between men and women are being challenged to recognise the biological and social constructions behind the terms 'sex' and/or 'gender', together with social epidemiology principles and the life course approach. This paper examines the epidemiology of a population with diabetes from the north-west metropolitan region of South Australia.

Methods

Data were used from a sub-population with diabetes (n = 263), from 4060 adults aged 18 years and over living in the north-west suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia. Eligible respondents were asked to participate in a telephone interview, a self-report questionnaire and a biomedical examination. Diabetes (undiagnosed and diagnosed) was determined using self-reported information and a fasting blood test administered to participants. Data were analysed using SPSS (Version 10.0) and EpiInfo (Version 6.0).

Results

Factors associated with diabetes for both men and women were being aged 40 years and over, and having a low gross annual household income, obesity and a family history of diabetes. In addition, being an ex-smoker and having low cholesterol levels were associated with diabetes among men. Among women, having a high waist-hip ratio, high blood pressure and reporting a previous cardiovascular event or mental health problem were associated with diabetes.

Conclusion

The results found that men and women with diabetes face different challenges in the management of their condition. Public health implications include a need for quality surveillance data, including epidemiological life course, social, behavioural, genetic and environmental factors. This will enrich the evidence base for health promotion professionals and allow policy makers to draw inferences and conclusions for interventions and planning purposes.
Literature
1.
Krieger N: Genders, sexes and health: what are the connections – and why does it matter?. Int J Epidemiol. 2003, 32: 652-657. 10.1093/ije/dyg156.CrossRefPubMed
2.
Krieger N: Genders, sexes and health: what are the connections – and why does it matter?. Int J Epidemiol. 2003, 32: 652-657. 10.1093/ije/dyg156.CrossRefPubMed
3.
4.
Mak K-H, Haffner SM: Diabetes abolishes the gender gap in coronary heart disease. Eur Heart J. 2003, 24 (15): 1385-1386. 10.1016/S0195-668X(03)00285-9.CrossRefPubMed
5.
Jonsson PM, Sterky G, Gafvels C, Ostman J: Gender equity in health care: the case of Swedish diabetes care. Health Care Women Int. 2000, 21 (5): 413-31. 10.1080/07399330050082245.CrossRefPubMed
6.
Summerson JH, Spangler JG, Bell RA, Shelton BJ, Konen JC: Association of gender with symptoms and complications in type II diabetes mellitus. Womens Health Issues. 1999, 9 (3): 176-182. 10.1016/S1049-3867(98)00054-1.CrossRefPubMed
7.
Williams C: Doing health, doing gender: teenagers, diabetes and asthma. Soc Sci Med. 2000, 50 (3): 387-396. 10.1016/S0277-9536(99)00340-8.CrossRefPubMed
8.
Mak K-H, Haffner SM: Diabetes abolishes the gender gap in coronary heart disease. Eur Heart J. 2003, 2415: 1385-1386. 10.1016/S0195-668X(03)00285-9.CrossRef
9.
Roeters van Lennep JE, Westerveld HT, Erkelens DW, Wall van der EE: Risk factors for coronary heart disease: implications of gender. Cardiovasc Res. 2002, 533: 538-549. 10.1016/S0008-6363(01)00388-1.CrossRef
10.
Denton M, Prus S, Walters V: Gender differences in health: a Canadian study of the psychosocial, structural and behavioural determinants of health. Soc Sci Med. 2004, 58: 2585-2600. 10.1016/j.socscimed.2003.09.008.CrossRefPubMed
11.
Blazer DG, Moody-Ayers S, Craft-Morgan J, Burchett B: Depression in diabetes and obesity: racial/ethnic/gender issues in older adults. J Psychosom Res. 2002, 534: 913-916. 10.1016/S0022-3999(02)00314-8.CrossRef
12.
Huxley R, Barzi F, Woodward M: Excess risk of fatal coronary heart disease associated with diabetes in men and women: meta-analysis of 37 prospective cohort studies. BMJ. 2006, 332: 73-78. 10.1136/bmj.38678.389583.7C.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed
13.
Beckles GLA, Thompson-Reid PE: Diabetes and women's health across the life stages: a public health perspective. 2001, Atlanta: US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Diabetes Translation
14.
Rubin R, Peyrot M: Men and diabetes: psychosocial and behavioural issues. Diabetes Spectrum. 1998, 112: 81-87.
15.
Wannamethee SG, Shaper AG: Weight change and duration of overweight and obesity in the incidence of type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 1999, 228: 1266-1272. 10.2337/diacare.22.8.1266.CrossRef
16.
Wei M, Kampert JB, Barlow CE, Nichaman MZ, Gibbons LW, Paffenbarger RS, Blair SN: Relationship between low cardiorespiratory fitness and mortality in normal-weight overweight and obese men. JAMA. 1999, 28216: 1547-1553. 10.1001/jama.282.16.1547.CrossRef
17.
Khaw K-T, Wareham N, Luben R, Bingham S, Oakes S, Welch A, Day N: Glycated haemoglobin, diabetes and mortality in men in Norfolk cohort of Europoean Prospective Investigation of Cancer and Nutrition. BMJ. 1999, 322 (7277): 15-18. 10.1136/bmj.322.7277.15.CrossRef
18.
Dunning T: Sexual health and diabetes. Conquest (Diabetes Australia). 2002, 5-6. Winter
19.
Lieberman LS: Dietary, evolutionary, and modernizing influences on the prevalence of type 2 diabetes. Annu Review Nutr. 2003, 23: 345-377. 10.1146/annurev.nutr.23.011702.073212.CrossRef
20.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare: Diabetes: Australian facts 2008. Diabetes series no. 8. Cat. no. CVD 40. 2008, Canberra: AIHW
21.
Chittleborough CR, Grant JF, Phillips PJ, Taylor AW: The increasing prevalence of diabetes in South Australia: the relationship with population ageing and obesity. Public Health. 2007, 121: 92-99. 10.1016/j.puhe.2006.09.017.CrossRefPubMed
22.
MacDonald J, Crawford D: Recent developments concerning men's health in Australia. Aust J Prim Health. 2002, 8 (1): 77-82.CrossRef
23.
Glover J, Tennant S: A social health atlas of Australia: South Australia. 1999, Adelaide: Public Health Information Development Unit, 5: 2
24.
Taylor A, Dal Grande E, Chittleborough C, Cheek J, Wilson D, Phillips P, Ruffin R: Key biomedical findings, policy implications and research recommendations. 2002, Adelaide: South Australian Department of Human Services
25.
Grant J, Chittleborough C, Taylor A, Dal Grande E, Wilson D, Phillips , Adams R, Cheek J, Price K, Gill T, Ruffin R, on behalf of the NWAH Study Team: The North West Adelaide Health Study: detailed methods and baseline segmentation of a cohort along a chronic disease continuum. Epidemiol Perspect Innov. 2006, 3: 4-10.1186/1742-5573-3-4.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed
26.
Grant J, Taylor A, Ruffin R, Wilson D, Phillips P, Adams R, Price K, the NWAH Study Team: Cohort Profile: The North West Adelaide Health Study (NWAHS). Int J Epidemiol. 2008
27.
National Heart Foundation of Australia: Risk factor prevalence study – Survey No. 3 1989. 1990, Canberra: National Heart Foundation of Australia
28.
Armstrong T, Bauman A, Davies J: Physical activity patterns of Australian adults – results of the 1999 National Physical Activity Survey. 2000, Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
29.
American Diabetes Association: Diagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitus. Diabetes Care. 2004, 27: S5-S10. 10.2337/diacare.27.2007.S5.CrossRef
30.
World Health Organization: Obesity: Preventing and managing the global epidemic – Report of a WHO consultation on obesity. 1997, Geneva: World Health Organization
31.
O'Dea K, Walker K, Colagiuri S, Hepburn A, Holt P, Colagiuri R: Evidence Based Guidelines for Type 2 Diabetes: Primary Prevention. 2002, Canberra: Diabetes Australia & National Health and Medical Research Council
32.
Australian Bureau of Statistics: Australian Demographic Statistics. 2003, Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics
33.
Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Inc: SPSS Advanced Statistics 10.0 [computer program]. 1999, Chicago
34.
Dean A, Dean J, Coulombier D, Brendel KA, Smith DC, Burton AH, Dicker RC, Sullivan K, Fagan RF, Arner TG: Epi Info Version 6: a word processing, database, and statistics program for epidemiology on microcomputers. 1994, Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
35.
Hosmer DW, Lemeshow S: Applied logistic regression. 1989, New York: John Wiley & Sons
36.
Elwood JM: Critical appraisal of epidemiological studies and clinical trials. 1998, New York: Oxford University Press
37.
Zhang Q, Wang Y: Socioeconomic inequality of obesity in the United States: do gender, age and ethnicity matter?. Soc Sci Med. 2004, 58: 1171-1180. 10.1016/S0277-9536(03)00288-0.CrossRefPubMed
38.
Artazcoz L, Borrell C, Benach J, Cortes I, Rohlfs I: Women, family demands and health. Soc Sci Med. 2004, 59: 263-274. 10.1016/j.socscimed.2003.10.029.CrossRefPubMed
39.
Virtanen P, Liukkonen V, Vahtera J, Kivimäki M, Koskenvuo M: Health inequalities in the workforce: the labour market core-periphery structure. Int J Epidemiol. 2003, 32 (6): 1015-1021. 10.1093/ije/dyg319.CrossRefPubMed
40.
McDonald L, Robb AL: The economic legacy of divorce and separation for women in old age. Can J Aging. 2004, 23 (Suppl 1): S83-97.CrossRefPubMed
41.
Shen BJ, Countryman AJ, Spiro A, Niaura R: The prospective contribution of hostility characteristics to high fasting glucose levels: the moderating role of marital status. Diabetes Care. 2008, 31 (7): 1293-8. 10.2337/dc07-1945.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed
42.
McLaren L: Socioeconomic status and obesity. Epidemiol Rev. 2007, 29: 29-48. 10.1093/epirev/mxm001.CrossRefPubMed
43.
44.
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Dixon T, Waters A-M: A growing problem: trends and patterns in overweight and obesity among adults in Australia, 1980 to 2001. Bulletin No. 8, AIHW Cat. No. AUS36. 2003, Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
45.
Chittleborough CR, Grant JF, Phillips PJ, Taylor AW: The increasing prevalence of diabetes in South Australia: the relationship with population ageing and obesity. Public Health. 2007, 121: 92-99. 10.1016/j.puhe.2006.09.017.CrossRefPubMed
46.
Taylor AW, Dal Grande E, Gill TK, Chittleborough CR, Wilson DH, Adams RJ, Grant JF, Phillips PJ, Appleton S, Ruffin RE: How valid are self reported height and weight? A comparison between CATI self-report and clinic measurements using a large representative cohort study. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2006, 30 (3): 238-46. 10.1111/j.1467-842X.2006.tb00864.x.CrossRefPubMed
47.
Denton M, Prus S, Walters V: Gender differences in health: a Canadian study of the psychosocial, structural and behavioural determinants of health. Soc Sci Med. 2004, 58: 2585-2600. 10.1016/j.socscimed.2003.09.008.CrossRefPubMed
48.
Nooyens AC, Visscher TL, Verschuren WM, Schuit AJ, Boshuizen HC, van Mechelen W, Seidell JC: Age, period and cohort effects on body weight and body mass index in adults: The Doetinchem Cohort Study. Public Health Nutr. 2008, 24: 1-9. 10.1017/S1368980008003091.
49.
Dal Grande E, Taylor A, Wilson D: Is there a difference in health estimates between people with listed and unlisted telephone numbers?. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2005, 29: 448-56. 10.1111/j.1467-842X.2005.tb00225.x.CrossRefPubMed
50.
Taylor AW, Dal Grande E, Gill T, Chittleborough CR, Wilson DH, Adams RJ, Grant JF, Phillips P, Ruffin RE: Do people with risky behaviours participate in biomedical cohort studies?. BMC Public Health. 2006, 6-11.
Metadata
Title
Gender-specific epidemiology of diabetes: a representative cross-sectional study
Authors
Janet F Grant
Neville Hicks
Anne W Taylor
Catherine R Chittleborough
Patrick J Phillips
The North West Adelaide Health Study Team
Publication date
01-12-2009
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
International Journal for Equity in Health / Issue 1/2009
Electronic ISSN: 1475-9276
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-9276-8-6

Other articles of this Issue 1/2009

International Journal for Equity in Health 1/2009 Go to the issue

Research

Social determinants of health and health inequities in Nakuru (Kenya)

Research

Multilevel survival analysis of health inequalities in life expectancy

Research

Association between maternal use of traditional healer services and child vaccination coverage in Pont-Sonde, Haiti

Research

Three methods to monitor utilization of healthcare services by the poor

Research

Towards equitable access to medicines for the rural poor: analyses of insurance claims reveal rural pharmacy initiative triggers price competition in Kyrgyzstan

Research

Trend in geographic distribution of physicians in Japan