Prevalence of type 2 diabetes and its association with measures of body composition among African residents in the Netherlands--The HELIUS study

Karlijn A C Meeks; Karien Stronks; Erik J A J Beune; Adebowale Adeyemo; Peter Henneman; Marcel M A M Mannens; Mary Nicolaou; Ron J G Peters; Charles N Rotimi; Marieke B Snijder; Charles Agyemang

doi:10.1016/j.diabres.2015.09.017

Prevalence of type 2 diabetes and its association with measures of body composition among African residents in the Netherlands--The HELIUS study

Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2015 Nov;110(2):137-46. doi: 10.1016/j.diabres.2015.09.017. Epub 2015 Sep 25.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: [email protected].
³ Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁴ Center for Research on Genomics and Global Health, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, 12 South Drive, MSC 5635, Bethesda, MD, United States. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁵ Department of Clinical Genetics, Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁶ Department of Clinical Genetics, Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁷ Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁸ Department of Cardiology, Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁹ Center for Research on Genomics and Global Health, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, 12 South Drive, MSC 5635, Bethesda, MD, United States. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹⁰ Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: [email protected].
¹¹ Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 26432411
DOI: 10.1016/j.diabres.2015.09.017

Abstract

Aims: To compare type 2 diabetes prevalence among three ethnic groups resident in the Netherlands: Ghanaians, African Surinamese and Dutch origin. Secondly, to determine the contribution of measures of body composition to ethnic differences in type 2 diabetes.

Methods: Baseline data from Ghanaian (n=1873), African Surinamese (n=2189) and Dutch (n=2151) origin participants of the HELIUS study (aged 18-70 years) were analyzed. Type 2 diabetes was determined according to the WHO criteria. Logistic regression tested ethnic differences in type 2 diabetes and the contribution of body fat percentage and waist-to-hip ratio.

Results: Among men, type 2 diabetes prevalence was higher in Ghanaians (14.9%) than in African Surinamese (10.4%) and Dutch (5.0%). Among women, type 2 diabetes prevalence in Ghanaian (11.1%) was higher than in Dutch (2.3%), but similar to African Surinamese (11.5%). After adjusting for age, body fat percentage and waist-to-hip ratio, the odds ratios for having type 2 diabetes were 1.55 (95% CI: 1.12-2.15) for Ghanaian men compared with African Surinamese and 4.19 (95% CI: 2.86-6.12) compared with Dutch. Among women these odds ratios were 0.94 (95% CI: 0.70-1.26) and 4.78 (95% CI: 2.82-8.11).

Conclusions: The higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes among Ghanaian compared with African Surinamese men suggests a need to distinguish between African descent populations when assessing their type 2 diabetes risk. The higher odds for type 2 diabetes among Ghanaians cannot be attributed to differences in body composition. Further research on the contribution of lifestyle factors as well as genetic and epigenetic factors is needed to identify the reasons for the observed disparities.

Keywords: Africans; Body fat; Body fat distribution; Type 2 diabetes.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Aged
Black People*
Body Composition*
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / ethnology*
Ethnicity*
Female
Ghana / ethnology
Humans
Logistic Models
Male
Middle Aged
Netherlands / epidemiology
Odds Ratio
Prevalence

Grants and funding

P20 MD006899/MD/NIMHD NIH HHS/United States