Accuracy of self-reported diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia in the adult Spanish population. DINO study findings

Machine learning analysis of emerging risk factors for early-onset hypertension in the Tlalpan 2020 cohort

Introduction

Hypertension is a significant public health concern. Several relevant risk factors have been identified. However, since it is a complex condition with broad variability and strong dependence on environmental and lifestyle factors, current risk factors only account for a fraction of the observed prevalence. This study aims to investigate the emerging early-onset hypertension risk factors using a data-driven approach by implementing machine learning models within a well-established cohort in Mexico City, comprising initially 2,500 healthy adults aged 18 to 50 years.

Methods

Hypertensive individuals were newly diagnosed during 6,000 person-years, and normotensive individuals were those who, during the same time, remained without exceeding 140 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure and/or diastolic blood pressure of 90 mm Hg. Data on sociodemographic, lifestyle, anthropometric, clinical, and biochemical variables were collected through standardized questionnaires as well as clinical and laboratory assessments. Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Logistic Regression (LG) and Support Vector Machines (SVM) were employed to evaluate the relationship between these factors and hypertension risk.

Results

The Random Forest (RF) Importance Percent was calculated to assess the structural relevance of each variable in the model, while Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) analysis quantified both the average impact and direction of each feature on individual predictions. Additionally, odds ratios were calculated to express the size and direction of influence for each variable, and a sex-stratified analysis was conducted to identify any gender-specific risk factors.

Discussion

This nested study provides evidence that sleep disorders, a sedentary lifestyle, consumption of high-fat foods, and energy drinks are potentially modifiable risk factors for hypertension in a Mexico City cohort of young and relatively healthy adults. These findings underscore the importance of addressing these factors in hypertension prevention and management strategies.

Diagnostic dilemma in Cushing's syndrome: discrepancy between patient-reported and physician-assessed manifestations

PURPOSE

Early diagnosis and immediate treatment of Cushing's syndrome (CS) are critical for a better prognosis but remain a challenge. However, few comprehensive reports have focused on this issue or investigated whether patient-reported manifestations are consistent with physician-assessed symptoms of CS. This study aimed to clarify the differences in patient-reported and physician-assessed manifestations of signs and symptoms of CS that prevent early diagnosis.

METHODS

This single-center retrospective study included 52 patients with CS (16 with Cushing's disease and 36 with adrenal CS). Upon clinical diagnosis, medical records were used to independently review the patient-reported and physician-assessed manifestations of typical (such as purple striae and proximal myopathy) and nonspecific features (such as hirsutism and hypertension). The correlations and differences between the patient-reported and physician-assessed manifestations were then analyzed.

RESULTS

We observed a positive correlation between the total number of manifestations of nonspecific features reported by patients and those assessed by physicians, but not for typical features. Moreover, manifestations reported by the patients were less frequent than those assessed by physicians for typical features, leading to discrepancies between the two groups. In contrast, there were no differences in most nonspecific features between the patient-reported and physician-assessed manifestations. Notably, the concordance between patient-reported and physician-assessed manifestations of typical features was not associated with urinary free cortisol levels.

CONCLUSION

Regardless of disease severity, patients often do not complain of the typical features of CS that are crucial for formulating a diagnosis.

Multimorbidity prevalence and patterns in chronic kidney disease: findings from an observational multicentre UK cohort study

PURPOSE

Multimorbidity [defined as two or more long-term conditions (LTCs)] contributes to increased treatment and medication burden, poor health-related quality of life, and worse outcomes. Management strategies need to be patient centred and tailored depending on existing comorbidities; however, little is known about the prevalence and patterns of comorbidities in people with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We investigated the prevalence of multimorbidity and comorbidity patterns across all CKD stages.

METHODS

Multimorbidity was assessed, using a composite of self-report and clinical data, across four CKD groups stratified by eGFR [stage 1-2, stage 3a&b, stage 4-5, and kidney transplant (KTx)]. Principal component analysis using varimax rotation was used to identify comorbidity clusters across each group.

RESULTS

Of the 978 participants (mean 66.3 ± 14 years, 60% male), 96.0% had multimorbidity. In addition to CKD, the mean number of comorbidities was 3.0 ± 1.7. Complex multimorbidity (i.e. ≥ 4 multiple LTCs) was identified in 560 (57.3%) participants. When stratified by CKD stage, the two most prevalent comorbidities across all stages were hypertension (> 55%) and musculoskeletal disorders (> 40%). The next most prevalent comorbidity for CKD stages 1-2 was lung conditions and for CKD stages 3 and 4-5 it was heart problems. CKD stages 1-2 showed different comorbidity patterns and clustering compared to other CKD stages.

CONCLUSION

Most people across the spectrum of CKD have multimorbidity. Different patterns of multimorbidity exist at different stages of CKD, and as such, clinicians should consider patient comorbidities to integrate care and provide effective treatment strategies.

Inconsistency in prevalence of hypertension based on self-reports and use of standard tests: Implications for large scale surveys

Objective

Biomarkers are increasingly integrated into population-based surveys to provide reliable estimates of the prevalence of specific diseases. The Demographic and Health Surveys have recently incorporated blood pressure measurements; however, little is known about the extent of agreement between measured and reported levels of hypertension in India. The objective of this study was to examine the extent of agreement between self-reported hypertension and the results of standard blood pressure measurements, as well as to explore the risk groups and factors associated with inconsistencies in self-reported and biomedically measured hypertension.

Methods

Reliability measures such as sensitivity, specificity, and kappa statistics were used to examine inconsistencies in self-reported and biomedically measured hypertension in the National Family Health Survey-4 data. Multilevel logistic models were adopted to analyse the respondent characteristics related to both false-positive and false-negative responses in the survey.

Results

Compared to biomedically measured hypertension, self-reported hypertension was inconsistent and disproportionate at disaggregated levels in India. While self-reports severely underestimated hypertension among men aged 15-54 years and women aged 35-49 years, it overestimated hypertension among women below the age of 35 years. The inconsistency in self-reported and biomedically examined hypertension had deviations from a sex standpoint. Women aged <35 years reported a false-positive prevalence of hypertension. False-negative responses were elucidated among women aged ≥35 years and men aged 15-54 years. The likelihood of false-positive responses was higher among pregnant and obese respondents, and those who consumed alcohol.

Conclusion

The significant deviance of self-reporting of hypertension from the prevalence derived based on standard tests further indicates the need for adopting standard tests in all emerging future large-scale surveys. A back-check survey is recommended to understand and differentiate the excessive false-positive reporting of hypertension among women aged 15-35 years.

Comparison of Diabetes Mellitus Risk Factors in Mexico in 2003 and 2014

Objective

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus in Mexico is very high. This study aimed to compare the risk factors of diabetes mellitus in Mexican adults in 2003 and in 2014.

Methods

This study had a repeated cross-sectional design. Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) from Mexico (Wave 0, 2003, and Wave 2, 2014) were compared. Self-reported diabetes mellitus (outcome) was evaluated with the yes/no question: "Have you ever been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (high blood sugar)?" Bivariate analyses and multivariable logistic regression analyses adjusted for potential risk factors were conducted.

Results

In 11 years (2003-2014), the prevalence of self-reported diabetes mellitus in Mexican adults increased by 2.6 times in those younger than 50 years (2003: 2.1%; 2014: 5.5%) and by 1.9 times in those ≥50 years (2003: 12.7%; 2014: 24.2%). In 2003, the risk factors associated with diabetes mellitus were female sex (OR 1.344, 95% CI 1.176-1.536), age ≥50 years (OR 6.734, 95% CI 5.843-7.760), being overweight (OR 1.359, 95% CI 1.175-1.571), obesity (OR 1.871, 95% CI 1.583-2.211), and lower physical activity of <600 MET-minutes/week (OR 1.349, 95% CI 1.117-1.630). In 2014, the exposure characteristics significantly associated with diabetes mellitus were female sex (OR 1.244, 95% CI 1.025-1.511), older age ≥50 years (OR 4.608, 95% CI 3.260-6.515), being overweight (OR 1.649, 95% CI 1.305-2.083), obesity (OR 1.778, 95% CI 1.398-2.261), and in those who had not attended/completed primary school (OR 1.360, 95% CI 1.042-1.773).

Conclusion

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus in Mexico significantly increased from 2003 to 2014. Female sex, age older than 50 years, and being overweight or obese were significant risk factors in both 2003 and 2014. Not having completed primary school was a new significant risk factor in 2014. Public health policies and strategies should prioritize decreasing the high levels of overweight and obesity, and improve health literacy in Mexico.

Gender Differences in the Association Between Cataract and Mental Health in Adults With Diabetes: A Cross-Sectional Analysis From the Spanish National Health Survey 2017

Objective: This study aimed to explore gender differences in the associations between cataracts and self-reported depression and chronic anxiety in Spanish adults with diabetes.

Methods: Cross-sectional data from the Spanish Health Survey 2017 were analyzed. Inclusion criterion was a positive response to the question “Have you ever been diagnosed with diabetes?” Diabetes, cataracts, depression and chronic anxiety were based on self-reported lifetime diagnosis. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to assess the association between cataracts and depression or anxiety among respondents with diabetes, stratifying by gender.

Results: Out of a total 23,089 respondents, 2,266 people self-reported suffering from diabetes (50.2% women; average age 69.7 ± 12.7 years; age range 15-98 years). In people with diabetes, the presence of cataracts was associated with significantly higher odds for depression (OR = 1.655; 95% CI = 1.295-2.115). Gender-stratified analyses showed that only women with cataracts were significantly associated with higher odds for depression (OR = 1.762; 95% CI = 1.307-2.374) and chronic anxiety (OR = 1.519; 95% CI = 1.067-2.163).

Conclusion: Cataracts are a significant risk factor for depression and chronic anxiety in Spanish women with diabetes, but not in men. Women with both diabetes and cataracts require assessment for depression and chronic anxiety, and possibly earlier interventions in order to reduce the potential risk of further mental health complications.

Obesity needs to be addressed to tackle the increased prevalence of diabetes in China - Temporal changes from 2003 to 2009

This study aimed to analyse the temporal change of diabetes and any associated risk and protective factors for diabetes in Chinese adults between Wave 0 (2003) and Wave 1 (2009) of the World Health Organization (WHO) Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE). Data from China of the SAGE were analysed. Diabetes (outcome variable) was assessed by the yes/no question: "Have you ever been diagnosed with diabetes (high blood sugar)?". Exposure variables examined in bivariate and multivariate multiple regression included sex, age, marital status, education, smoking, alcohol, fruit and vegetables consumption, physical activity and body mass index (BMI). Significant exposure variables in bivariate analyses were included in multivariate analyses (2003: age and tobacco; 2009: age, BMI, education and alcohol). In Wave 0 (2003), there were 3993 Chinese adults, of which 67 (1.7%) self-reported to have diabetes. In Wave 1 (2009), there were a total of 9524 Chinese adults, of which 770 (8.1%) had diabetes. The overall prevalence of diabetes in Chinese adults increased by 4.76 times between the two timeframes (1.7%, age range 27-84 years, average age 58.51 ± 12.70 years, 59.70% females in 2003 to 8.1%, age range 20-95 years, average age 65.31 ± 10.19 years, 53.64% females in 2009). Multivariate regression retained older age ≥ 60 years (OR 4.34, 95% CI 2.67-7.07) as the main risk factor in 2003 data, while in 2009 the odds ratio for older age ≥ 60 years decreased (OR 2.45, 95% CI 2.06-2.92), but included a significant association of obesity (OR 2.11, 95% CI 1.60-2.78) and excess weight (OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.19-1.69). The significant association with excess weight and obesity associated with the increased prevalence of diabetes in 2009 is a cause of concern and should be addressed by public health strategies in China.

Influenza and pneumococcal vaccination coverage in Latin American patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a cross-sectional and comparative study

BACKGROUND

Infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in systemic lupus (SLE). Vaccination would be an effective method to reduce infection rate. Coverage for influenza and pneumococcus appears to be low in Latin America. The objective of this study was to evaluate vaccination coverage for influenza and pneumococcus in Latin America, causes of non-vaccination and to compare it with European patients.

METHODS

A survey was conducted through social networks targeting Latin American lupus patients. A self-report was used to assess the demographics, risk factors for pneumonia, vaccination status, and causes of non-vaccination. The same method was used for European patients. We used binary logistic regression to identify factors associated with pneumococcal and influenza vaccination.

RESULTS

There were 1130 participants from Latin America. Among them, 97% were women with an average of 37.9 years (SD: 11.3) and 46.5% had more than 7 years of disease duration. Two or more risk factors for pneumonia were found in 64.9%. Coverage for influenza and pneumococcal was 42.7 and 25% respectively, being lower than in Europe. Tetanus coverage was the most important predictor for receiving influenza and pneumococcal vaccination. Lack of prescription was the most common cause of non-application (64.6%).

CONCLUSIONS

Vaccination coverage for influenza and pneumonia is low in Latin America, especially compared to Europe. It is necessary to make specialists aware of their role in vaccine control and to implement measures to improve coordination between them and general practitioners.

Mental Health among Spanish Adults with Diabetes: Findings from a Population-Based Case-Controlled Study

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess and compare the prevalence of self-reported mental disorders, psychological distress, and psychotropic drug consumption among people with diabetes mellitus (DM) and matched non-DM controls. Methods: A case–controlled study using data from the Spanish National Health Interview Survey was conducted in 2017. We identified 2116 DM adults (aged ≥35 years). Non-DM controls were matched 1:1 by age, sex, and province of residence. Results: Prevalence of mental disorders (25.0% vs. 19.2%; p < 0.001), psychological distress (29% vs. 19.5%; p < 0.001), and consumption of psychiatric medications (29.7% vs. 23.5%; p < 0.001) among DM cases were higher than those among matched non-DM controls. The DM patient variables associated with experiencing a mental disorder, psychological distress, and consumption of psychiatric medications were: being a woman, worse self-rated health, and a visit to a psychologist within the last year. Older age (≥80 years) was associated with a lower probability of reporting mental disorders and psychological distress among DM cases. Not practicing physical exercise was significantly associated with experiencing psychological distress. Conclusions: Adults with DM included in our investigation have a significantly higher prevalence of mental disorders, psychological distress, and consumption of psychiatric medications than non-DM controls. It is necessary to implement screening strategies and psychological interventions to improve the mental health of DM patients in Spain, focusing especially on women and those aged 35 to 59 years.

Sleep insufficiency and incident diabetes mellitus among indigenous and minority populations in Greece

Objective

To investigate the potential association between sleep pathology and diabetes mellitus (DM) using self-reported questionnaires.

Material and Methods

957 adults aged between 19 and 86 years old were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Multistage stratified cluster sampling was used and subjects were classified into three groups [short (<6h), normal (6-8h) and long (>8h) sleep duration]. Individuals were classified as diabetics if they responded positively to the questions: “Have you ever been told that you are diabetic or have high blood sugar by a health professional?” or “Are you on antidiabetic medication?”. Sleep quality, utilizing Epworth sleepiness scale, Athens insomnia scale, Pittsburgh sleep quality index and Berlin questionnaire, was also examined.

Results

DM prevalence was higher among expatriated and Muslim Greeks (23.1% and 18.7%, respectively) compared to indigenous Greek Christians (4.4%). DM prevalence was significantly associated with short sleep duration (aOR=2.82, p<0.001), excessive daytime sleepiness (aOR=2.09, p=0.019) and poor sleep quality (aOR=2.56, p<0.001), while its relation with insomnia (aOR=1.63, p=0.065) and risk for obstructive sleep apnea (aOR=1.53, p=0.080) were of marginal statistical significance.

Conclusion

This study indicates an association between sleep quantity, quality and DM and supports early pharmacological and cognitive behavioral interventions on sleep disturbances in order to reduce the burden of DM with increased focus on minority population needs.

Childhood BMI and Fasting Glucose and Insulin Predict Adult Type 2 Diabetes: The International Childhood Cardiovascular Cohort (i3C) Consortium

OBJECTIVE

To examine childhood BMI, fasting glucose, and insulin in relation to incident adult type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We used data from the International Childhood Cardiovascular Cohort (i3C) Consortium. Data included childhood (age 3-19 years) measurements obtained during the 1970s-1990s; a health questionnaire, including self-report of adult T2DM (occurrence age, medication use) obtained at mean age 40 years; and a medical diagnosis registry (Finland).

RESULTS

The sample included 6,738 participants. Of these, 436 (6.5%) reported onset of T2DM between ages 20 and 59 (mean 40.8) years, and 86% of them reported use of a confirmed antidiabetic medication. BMI and glucose (age and sex standardized) were associated with incident T2DM after adjustment for cohort, country, sex, race, age, and calendar year of measurement. Increasing levels of childhood BMI and glucose were related to an incrementally increased risk of T2DM beginning at age 30 years, beginning at cut points <95th percentile for BMI and <100 mg/dL for glucose. Insulin was positively associated with adult T2DM after adjustment for BMI and glucose and added to T2DM discrimination.

CONCLUSIONS

Childhood BMI and glucose are predictors of adult T2DM at levels previously considered to be within the normal range. These easy-to-apply measurements are appealing from a clinical perspective. Fasting insulin has the potential to be an additional predictor.

Prevalence and associations of non-retinopathy ocular conditions among older Australians with self-reported diabetes: The National Eye Health Survey

AIM

To determine the prevalence and associations of non-retinopathy ocular conditions among older Australian adults with diabetes.

METHODS

Multistage random-cluster sampling was used to select 3098 non-indigenous Australians aged 50y or older (46.4% male) and 1738 indigenous Australians aged 40y or older (41.1% male) from all levels of geographic remoteness in Australia. Participants underwent a standardised questionnaire to ascertain diabetes history, and a clinical examination to identify eye disease. We determined the prevalence of uncorrected refractive error, visually significant cataract, cataract surgery, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, ocular hypertension, retinal vein occlusion and epiretinal membrane among those with and without self-reported diabetes.

RESULTS

Participants with self-reported diabetes had a higher prevalence of cataract surgery than those without diabetes (28.8% vs 16.9%, OR 1.78, 95%CI: 1.35-2.34 among non-indigenous Australians, and 11.3% vs 5.2%, OR 1.62, 95%CI: 1.22-2.14 among indigenous Australians). Diabetic retinopathy (DR) increased the odds of cataract surgery among self-reported diabetic indigenous and non-indigenous Australians (OR 1.89, P=0.004 and OR 2.33, P<0.001 respectively). Having diabetes for ≥20y and having vision-threatening DR increased the odds of cataract surgery among indigenous Australians with diabetes (OR 3.73, P=0.001 and 7.58, P<0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Most non-retinopathy ocular conditions are not associated with self-reported diabetes. However, to account for Australia's worsening diabetes epidemic, interventions to reduce the impact of diabetes-related blindness should include increased cataract surgery services.

Is There an Association between Diabetes and Neck and Back Pain? Results of a Case-Control Study

We aimed to assess if subjects with diabetes exhibit higher prevalence of chronic back pain than age-sex-province of residence-matched non-diabetic controls. We also aimed to identify predictors for chronic neck pain (CNP) or chronic low back pain (CLBP) among subjects with diabetes. A case control study was conducted using data obtained from the Spanish National Health Survey 2017. Multivariable conditional and unconditional logistic regression models were constructed. A total of 2095 diabetes sufferers and 2095 non-diabetic matched controls were analyzed. The prevalence of CNP and CLBP was 27.3% and 34.8%, respectively, in diabetes sufferers and 22.1% and 29.0% in non-diabetes controls (both, p < 0.001). After multivariable analysis, the ORs showed significantly higher adjusted risk of CNP (OR 1.34; 95% CI 1.19–1.51) and CLBP (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.09–1.31) in diabetes cases. Diabetes sufferers with CNP or CLBP showed higher use of pain medication and higher prevalence of migraine/frequent headache than controls. Female sex, worse self-rated health and use of pain medication were predictors for CNP and CLBP in subjects with diabetes. CNP and CLBP are significantly more prevalent in diabetes sufferers than in controls. Current results can help to design better preventive and educational strategies for these highly prevalent and burdensome pains among diabetic patients.

Accuracy of Self-Reported Hypertension, Diabetes, and Hyperlipidemia among Adults of Liwan, Guangzhou, China

Background:

We aimed to determine the accuracy of self-reported diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia in Chinese adults and examine factors that affect the accuracy of self-reports.

Methods:

This representative cross-sectional survey was conducted in Liwan District, Guangzhou City, Southeast China. Self-reported data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Biometrical data were recorded, including blood lipid, blood glucose and arterial blood pressure levels. Sensitivity, specificity, and κ values of self-reports were used as measurements of accuracy or agreements. The Robust Poisson-GEE was applied to determine the association of participants’ characteristics with the accuracy of self-reports.

Results:

Self-reported and biometrical data of 1278 residents aged 18 yr and older (693 women and 585 men) were used to calculate three measures of agreement. The agreement between self-reports and biomedical measurements was substantial for both hypertension and diabetes (κ=0.77 and 0.76), but only slight for hyperlipidemia (κ=0.06). Similarly, the sensitivity was higher for hypertension and diabetes (72.3% and 71.2%) than for hyperlipidemia (6.8%), while the specificity was high overall (≥98%). The factors associated with an accurate self-reported diagnosis in respondents with disease included having undergone blood pressure measurement (for hypertension) or blood glucose measurement (for diabetes) in the past 6 month, having attended health knowledge lectures in the past year and having social health insurances (for hypertension), and having undergone physical discomfort in the past 2 weeks (for hypertension and diabetes).

Conclusion:

The accuracy of self-reported hypertension and diabetes was high, whereas that of self-reported hyperlipidemia was lower among the population.

The Demographic Representativeness and Health Outcomes of Digital Health Station Users: Longitudinal Study

Background

Digital health stations offer an affordable and accessible platform for people to monitor their health; however, there is limited information regarding the demographic profile of users and the health benefits of this technology.

Objective

This study aimed to assess the demographic representativeness of health station users, identify the factors associated with repeat utilization of stations, and determine if the health status of repeat users changed between baseline and final health check.

Methods

Data from 180,442 health station users in Australia, including 8441 repeat users, were compared with 2014-2015 Australian National Health Survey (NHS) participants on key demographic and health characteristics. Binary logistic regression analyses were used to compare demographic and health characteristics of repeat and one-time users. Baseline and final health checks of repeat users were compared using McNemar tests and Wilcoxon signed rank tests. The relationship between the number of checks and final health scores was investigated using generalized linear models.

Results

The demographic profile of SiSU health station users differs from that of the general population. A larger proportion of SiSU users were female (100,814/180,442, 55.87% vs 7807/15,393, 50.72%), younger (86,387/180,442, 47.88% vs 5309/15,393, 34.49% aged less than 35 years), and socioeconomically advantaged (64,388/180,442, 35.68% vs 3117/15,393, 20.25%). Compared with NHS participants, a smaller proportion of SiSU health station users were overweight or obese, were smokers, had high blood pressure (BP), or had diabetes. When data were weighted for demographic differences, only rates of high BP were found to be lower for SiSU users compared with the NHS participants (odds ratio [OR] 1.26; P<.001). Repeat users were more likely to be female (OR 1.37; P<.001), younger (OR 0.99; P<.001), and from high socioeconomic status areas—those residing in socioeconomic index for areas quintiles 4 and 5 were significantly more likely to be repeat users compared with those residing in quintile 1 (OR 1.243; P<.001 and OR 1.151; P<.001, respectively). Repeat users were more likely to have a higher BMI (OR 1.02; P<.001), high BP (OR 1.15; P<.001), and less likely to be smokers (OR 0.77; P<.001). Significant improvements in health status were observed for repeat users. Mean BMI decreased by 0.97 kg/m2 from baseline to final check (z=−14.24; P<.001), whereas the proportion of people with high BP decreased from 15.77% (1080/6848) to 12.90% (885/6860; χ²₁=38.2; P<.001). The proportion of smokers decreased from 11.91% (1005/8438) to 10.13% (853/8421; χ²₁=48.4; P<.001). Number of repeat health checks was significantly associated with smoking status (OR 0.96; P<.048) but not with higher BP (P=.14) or BMI (P=.23).

Conclusions

These findings provide valuable insight into the benefits of health stations for self-monitoring and partially support previous research regarding the effect of demographics and health status on self-management of health.

Lurking in plain sight: Hypertension awareness and treatment among New York City taxi/for-hire vehicle drivers

Hypertension is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death in the United States. Taxi and for-hire vehicle (FHV) drivers, a largely male, immigrant and medically underserved population, are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, in part due to the nature of their work. This study examined demographic and lifestyle predictors of hypertension diagnosis awareness, objectively measured blood pressure (hypertensive-range vs non-hypertensive-range readings), medication use, and hypertension control. A cross-sectional assessment was conducted with 983 male taxi/FHV drivers who attended health fairs in New York City from 2010 to 2017. Twenty-three percent self-reported a hypertension history and 46% had hypertensive-range BP readings. Approximately, half the drivers lacked health insurance (47%) and a usual care source (46%). Thirty percent did not self-report hypertension and had hypertensive-range BP readings. Medication use was reported by 69% of hypertension-aware drivers, and being older and having health care access (insurance, a usual care source, and seeing a doctor in the past year) was significantly associated with medication use. Hypertension-unaware drivers with hypertensive-range BP readings were less likely to have a usual care source. Over 60% of drivers who were hypertension-aware and on medication had hypertensive-range readings. There is a need for community-based and workplace driver and provider interventions to address BP awareness and management and to provide health care navigation for vulnerable populations such as taxi/FHV vehicle drivers.

Prevalence of previously diagnosed diabetes and glycemic control strategies in Mexican adults: ENSANUT-2016

OBJECTIVES

To describe the prevalence of previously diagnosed diabetes among Mexican adults, to characterize the associated risk factors, and to describe which glycemic control strategies are the most used.

METHODS

We analyzed data from 8,631 adults aged ≥20 years who participated in the ENSANUT-2016 and from whom we gathered data about previously diagnosed diabetes, risk factors, glycemic control strategies, and measures to prevent complications.

RESULTS

The prevalence of previously diagnosed diabetes in Mexican adults was 9.4% (10.3% in women and 8.4% in men). The adjusted OR for having diabetes was higher in adults aged ≥60 years (OR = 11.0 in women and OR = 30.7 in men) than in adults aged 20-39 years (OR = 1.0). The adjusted OR for having diabetes was higher in overweight men (OR = 1.7) than in men with normal BMI (OR = 1.0). A total of 30.5% of adults with diabetes did not report any control strategies, 44.9% measured their venous blood glucose, and 15.2% used the HbA1C as an indicator of glycemic control. Only 46.4% of them reported preventive measures.

DISCUSSION

Diabetes is a common disease among Mexican adults. Being older or overweight are risk factors for an adult to be diagnosed with diabetes. Most adults with diabetes evaluate their glycemic control but only half practice preventive measures.

The reliability of self-reporting chronic diseases: how reliable is the result of population-based cohort studies

Objectives

To evaluate the reliability of self-reporting chronic diseases in the baseline data of the Ravansar Non-Communicable Diseases (RaNCD) cohort study in Kermanshah province, western Iran.

Methods

The study was conducted in RaNCD cohort study. To assess the reliability of self-report of chronic disease, a random sample of 202 participants were asked about some of chronic conditions 30-35 days (mean = 32) after recruitment.

Results

A range of kappa agreement between 39.52-100%, which the lower statistics was for hypertension and hepatitis and the higher one for cancer, cardiac ischemic, and diabetes.

Conclusion

The self-report of chronic diseases was relatively reliable. Therefore self-reporting data for some conditions can be used in situations where the validity is acceptable.

Prevalence, determinants and association of unawareness of diabetes, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia with poor disease control in a multi-ethnic Asian population without cardiovascular disease

Background

To explore the prevalence and determinants of unawareness of diabetes, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia and its association with poor disease control in a multi-ethnic Asian population without cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Methods

We included 6904 Chinese, Malay and Indian individuals (mean age [SD] 58.2 [10.2] years; 52.6% female) with diabetes, hypertension and/or hypercholesterolemia from the cross-sectional population-based Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases study (2004–2011). Diabetes was defined as random blood glucose ≥ 11.1 mmol/L or HbA1c > 6.5% or self-reported use of diabetes medication; hypertension as systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg or self-reported use of anti-hypertensive treatment; and hypercholesterolemia as total cholesterol ≥ 6.2 mmol/L or self-reported use of lipid-lowering medications. Unawareness was based on participants’ answers to the questions: “Did your medical practitioner ever tell you that you have diabetes/hypertension/high cholesterol?” The determinants of unawareness, and its association with poor disease control, were assessed using multivariable binary logistic regression models adjusted for known potential confounders.

Results

Of the 2380 (34.5%), 5386 (78.0%) and 3607 (52.2%) with diabetes, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia, respectively, unawareness rates were 30.7%, 43.1% and 40.9%, respectively. Having a higher BMI, particularly if obese, and Malay ethnicity were associated with greater unawareness of diabetes; Malay and Indian ethnicities and current smoking with greater unawareness of hypertension; and education ≤6 years, current smoking, and blue collar jobs or unemployment with greater unawareness of hypercholesterolemia (all P < 0.05). Lack of awareness of each condition was independently associated with poorer disease control in the case of hypertension and hypercholesterolemia, while the converse was true for diabetes (all P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Unawareness of diabetes, hypertension, or hypercholesterolemia is high in Singapore, with risk factors varying across all three diseases, although Malay ethnicity is a consistent one. Unawareness was also associated with poor management for hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. Public health education and screening programs should target at-risk individuals, especially Malays, to reduce the likelihood of incident CVD.

Cardiovascular risk factors and memory decline in middle-aged and older adults: the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

BACKGROUND

We investigated the association between trajectories of verbal episodic memory and burden of cardiovascular risk factors in middle-aged and older community-dwellers.

METHODS

We analysed data from 4372 participants aged 50-64 and 3005 persons aged 65-79 years old from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing who were repeatedly evaluated every 2 years and had six interviews of a 10-year follow-up. We measured the following baseline risk factors: diabetes, hypertension, smoking, physical inactivity and obesity to derive a cardiovascular risk factor score (CVRFs). Adjusted linear mixed effect regression models were estimated to determine the association between number of CVFRs and six repeated measurements of verbal memory scores, separately for middle-aged and older adults.

RESULTS

CVRFs was not significantly associated with memory at baseline. CVFRs was significantly associated with memory decline in middle-aged (50-64y), but not in older (65-79y) participants. This association followed a dose-response pattern with increasing number of CVFRs being associated with greater cognitive decline. Comparisons between none versus some CVRFs yielded significant differences (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings confirm that the effect of cumulative CVRFs on subsequent cognitive deterioration is age-dependent. CVRFs are associated with cognitive decline in people aged 50-64 years, but not in those aged ≥65 years. Although modest, the memory decline associated with accumulation of cardiovascular risk factors in midlife may increase the risk of late-life dementia.

Prevalence of Systemic Arterial Hypertension Diagnosed, Undiagnosed, and Uncontrolled in Elderly Population: SABE Study

Systemic arterial hypertension is the most prevalent chronic noncommunicable disease among older people. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of hypertension in the elderly and to analyze factors associated with diagnosed, undiagnosed, and uncontrolled hypertension. This is a cross-sectional study of data from the SABE study-Health, Well-Being, and Aging Survey-a multiple-cohort study, obtained in 2010, composed of a probabilistic sample representative of the population of the São Paulo city aged ≥60 years. Hypertension was self-reported or defined by increased blood pressure. Multinomial regression assessed factors associated with diagnosis and lack of diagnosis of hypertension (reference: no hypertension), and logistic regression assessed factors associated with uncontrolled hypertension (reference: controlled). The prevalence of hypertension was 79.5%, and in 51% of individuals with the condition, hypertension was uncontrolled. Undiagnosed hypertension was associated with nonwhite skin color (OR: 1.89, CI: 1.11-3.19), being uninsured (OR: 1.77, CI: 1.04-3.03), overweight (OR: 2.38, CI: 1.09-5.19), higher education (OR: 0.46, CI: 0.22-1.94), and ≥1 chronic disease (OR: 0.28; CI: 0.13-0.58). Diagnosed hypertension was associated with age between 70 and 79 years (OR: 2.02, CI: 1.34-3.05), age ≥80 (OR: 2.73, CI: 1.72-4.31), nonwhite skin color (OR: 1.48, CI: 1.01-2.18), being uninsured (OR: 1.70, CI: 1.18-2.47), at least one medical consultation in the last year (OR: 1.86, CI: 1.06-3.25), obesity (OR: 2.50, CI: 1.61-3.88), and ≥1 chronic disease (OR: 2.81, CI: 1.94-4.08). Among those with hypertension, being uncontrolled was associated with widowhood (OR: 1.73, CI: 1.23-2.43), being uninsured (OR: 1.38, CI: 1.02-1.87), and female gender (OR: 0.61, CI: 0.43-0.87). The prevalence of hypertension was high in this population, and its diagnosis and control were associated with socioeconomic, demographic, and healthcare access factors.

Is there an association between diabetes and neck pain and lower back pain? Results of a population-based study

BACKGROUND

The objective of the study was to study the association between low back pain (LBP), neck pain (NP), and diabetes while controlling for many sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidities, and lifestyle variables. The study also aimed to identify which of these variables is independently associated with LBP and NP among diabetes sufferers.

METHODS

A case-control study using data taken from the European Health Interview Surveys for Spain was conducted in 2009/2010 (n=22,188) and 2014 (n=22,842). We selected subjects ≥40 years of age. Diabetes status was self-reported. One non-diabetic control was matched by the year of survey, age, and sex for each diabetic case. The presence of LBP and NP was defined as the affirmative answer to both of the questions: "Have you suffered chronic LBP/NP over the last 12 months?" and "Has your physician confirmed the diagnosis?" Independent variables included demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, health status variables, lifestyles, and pain characteristics.

RESULTS

The prevalence of NP (32.2% vs 26.8%) and LBP (37.1% vs 30.3%) was significantly higher among those suffering from diabetes. Multivariable analysis showed that diabetes was associated with a 1.19 (95% CI 1.04-1.36) and 1.20 (95% CI 1.06-1.35) higher risk of NP and LBP. Among diabetic subjects, being female, concomitant mental or respiratory disorders, being obese, and physically inactive are variables associated with suffering from these pains. Those suffering NP had 8 times higher risk of reporting LBP than those without NP and the same association is found among those suffering from LBP.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence and intensity of NP and LBP are high among people with diabetes, affecting them significantly more than their age- and sex-matched non-diabetic controls. Specific preventive and educational strategies must be implemented to reduce the incidence, severity, and negative effect on the quality of NP and LBP among diabetic patients.

Migraine in adults with diabetes; is there an association? Results of a population-based study

AIMS

To investigate the association between migraine and diabetes mellitus while controlling for several socio-demographic characteristics, comorbidities, and lifestyle variables. We also aimed to identify which of these variables are associated with migraine among diabetics.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study using data taken from the European Health Interview Surveys for Spain conducted in 2009/10 (n=22,188) and 2014 (n=22,842). We selected those subjects ≥40 years of age. Diabetes status was self-reported. One non-diabetic control was matched by the year of survey, age, and sex for each diabetic case. The presence of migraine was defined as the affirmative answer to both of the following questions: "Have you suffered migraine or frequent headaches over the last 12 months?" and "Has your physician confirmed the diagnosis?". Independent variables included demographic and socio-economic characteristics, health status variables, lifestyle, and pain characteristics.

RESULTS

The prevalence of migraine was significantly higher among those suffering from diabetes (14.9% vs. 13.0%; p=0.021). The multivariable analysis showed that diabetes was not associated with a higher risk of migraine (adjusted OR 1.06; 95%CI 0.89-1.25). Among diabetic subjects, female sex, suffering concomitant mental disorders, respiratory disorders, neck pain, and low back pain were variables associated with suffering from migraine.

CONCLUSION

We found no significant differences in the prevalence of migraine between diabetics and non-diabetic age- and sex-matched controls after controlling for possible confounders.

Potential use of telephone-based survey for non-communicable disease surveillance in Sri Lanka

BACKGROUND

Telephone survey (TS) has been a popular tool for conducting health surveys, particularly in developed countries. However, the feasibility, and reliability of TS are not adequately explored in Sri Lanka. The main aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of telephone-based survey in estimating the prevalence of common non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Sri Lanka.

METHODS

We carried out an observational cross-sectional study using telephone interview method in Galle district, Sri Lanka. The study participants were selected randomly from the residents living in the households with fixed land telephone lines. The prevalence of the main NCDs was estimated using descriptive statistics.

RESULTS

Overall, 975 telephone numbers belonging to six main areas of Galle district were called, and 48% agreed to participate in the study. Of the non-respondents, 22% actively declined to participate. Data on NCDs were gathered from 1470 individuals. The most common self-reported NCD was hypertension (17.%), followed by diabetes (16.3%) and dyslipidaemia (15.6%). Smoking was exclusively seen in males (7.4%), and regular alcohol use was significantly more common in males (19.2%) than females (0.4%, P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study revealed average response rate for telephone based interview in Sri Lankan setting. Overall prevalence of main NCDs in this study showed a comparable prevalence to studies used face to face interview method. This study supports the potential use of telephone-based survey to assess heath related information in Sri Lanka.

Generalizability of Indicators from the New York City Macroscope Electronic Health Record Surveillance System to Systems Based on Other EHR Platforms

Introduction:

The New York City (NYC) Macroscope is an electronic health record (EHR) surveillance system based on a distributed network of primary care records from the Hub Population Health System. In a previous 3-part series published in eGEMS, we reported the validity of health indicators from the NYC Macroscope; however, questions remained regarding their generalizability to other EHR surveillance systems.

Methods:

We abstracted primary care chart data from more than 20 EHR software systems for 142 participants of the 2013–14 NYC Health and Nutrition Examination Survey who did not contribute data to the NYC Macroscope. We then computed the sensitivity and specificity for indicators, comparing data abstracted from EHRs with survey data.

Results:

Obesity and diabetes indicators had moderate to high sensitivity (0.81–0.96) and high specificity (0.94–0.98). Smoking status and hypertension indicators had moderate sensitivity (0.78–0.90) and moderate to high specificity (0.88–0.98); sensitivity improved when the sample was restricted to records from providers who attested to Stage 1 Meaningful Use. Hyperlipidemia indicators had moderate sensitivity (≥0.72) and low specificity (≤0.59), with minimal changes when restricting to Stage 1 Meaningful Use.

Discussion:

Indicators for obesity and diabetes used in the NYC Macroscope can be adapted to other EHR surveillance systems with minimal validation. However, additional validation of smoking status and hypertension indicators is recommended and further development of hyperlipidemia indicators is needed.

Conclusion:

Our findings suggest that many of the EHR-based surveillance indicators developed and validated for the NYC Macroscope are generalizable for use in other EHR surveillance systems.

Fish consumption is inversely associated with type 2 diabetes in Manitoba First Nations communities

Consumption of fish and n-3 fatty acids (n-3 FAs) has been postulated to prevent type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Objective: To explore the association between self-reported T2D and fish consumption, dietary n-3 FAs, and persistent organic pollutants (POP) intake in a regionally representative sample of First Nations (FNs) in Manitoba.

Design: Data from the cross-sectional First Nations Food, Nutrition and Environment Study (FNFNES) collected from 706 members of 8 Manitoba FNs in 2010 were used. Household interviews were used to collect social and lifestyle data. The consumption of fish was estimated using a traditional food frequency questionnaire. Fish samples were analyzed for the presence of POP. Multiple logistic regression models adjusted for potential risk factors for T2D were developed.

Results: A negative, dose–response relationship was found between fish intake and self-reported T2D. Fish consumptions of 2–3 portions per month and ≥1/week were inversely associated with T2D with odds ratio (OR) values of 0.51 (95% CI: 0.28–0.91) and 0.40 (95% CI: 0.19–0.82), respectively, compared with no fish intake. Similarly, intake of n-3 FAs was negatively associated with T2D (OR = 0.48 (95% CI: 0.30–0.77). Dietary POP intake was not associated with T2D.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that the consumption of traditionally harvested fish may have a beneficial effect on T2D in Manitoba FNs.

Latent class analysis of multimorbidity patterns and associated outcomes in Spanish older adults: a prospective cohort study

Background

This study sought to identify multimorbidity patterns and determine the association between these latent classes with several outcomes, including health, functioning, disability, quality of life and use of services, at baseline and after 3 years of follow-up.

Methods

We analyzed data from a representative Spanish cohort of 3541 non-institutionalized people aged 50 years old and over. Measures were taken at baseline and after 3 years of follow-up. Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was conducted using eleven common chronic conditions. Generalized linear models were conducted to determine the adjusted association of multimorbidity latent classes with several outcomes.

Results

63.8% of participants were assigned to the “healthy” class, with minimum disease, 30% were classified under the “metabolic/stroke” class and 6% were assigned to the “cardiorespiratory/mental/arthritis” class. Significant cross-sectional associations were found between membership of both multimorbidity classes and poorer memory, quality of life, greater burden and more use of services. After 3 years of follow-up, the “metabolic/stroke” class was a significant predictor of lower levels of verbal fluency while the two multimorbidity classes predicted poor quality of life, problems in independent living, higher risk of hospitalization and greater use of health services.

Conclusions

Common chronic conditions in older people cluster together in broad categories. These broad clusters are qualitatively distinct and are important predictors of several health and functioning outcomes. Future studies are needed to understand underlying mechanisms and common risk factors for patterns of multimorbidity and to propose more effective treatments.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12877-017-0586-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Dietary polyphenol intake and risk of type 2 diabetes in the Polish arm of the Health, Alcohol and Psychosocial factors in Eastern Europe (HAPIEE) study

This study aimed to test the association between dietary content of total and individual classes of polyphenols and incident cases of type 2 diabetes in Polish adults participating to the Health, Alcohol and Psychosocial factors In Eastern Europe study. At baseline, diet by 148-item FFQ and health information were collected from 5806 participants free of diabetes. Self-reported incident type 2 diabetes was ascertained at 2–4-year follow-up visit. OR and 95 % CI of type 2 diabetes comparing the various categories of polyphenol intake to the lowest one (reference category) and as 1 sd increase modelled as continuous variable were calculated by performing age-, energy-, and multivariate-adjusted logistic regression models. During the follow-up, 456 incident cases of type 2 diabetes occurred. When comparing extreme quartiles, intake of total polyphenol was inversely associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes (OR 0·43; 95 % CI 0·30, 0·61); 1 sd increase was associated with a reduced risk of diabetes (OR 0·68; 95 % CI 0·59, 0·79). Among the main classes of polyphenols, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and stilbenes were independent contributors to this association. Both subclasses of phenolic acids were associated with decreased risk of type 2 diabetes, whereas among subclasses of flavonoids, high intake of flavanols, flavanones, flavones and anthocyanins was significantly associated with decreased risk of type 2 diabetes. Total dietary polyphenols and some classes of dietary polyphenols were associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

Stature is inversely associated with self-reported diabetes in middle-aged Mexican women

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether stature is associated with two highly prevalent cardiom- etabolic disorders-diabetes mellitus (DM) and high blood pressure (HBP) -in middle-aged Mexican women.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of a sample of 93 481 middle-aged Mexican female teachers, all participating in the Mexican Teachers Cohort (MTC, or ESMaestras) study. We used a multivariable regression model to investigate the association of stature quintiles with the self-reported outcomes of DM and HBP.

RESULTS

After adjusting for birth cohort, ethnicity, family history, birthweight, occupation of household's head during participant's childhood, menopausal status, and geographical region of birthplace, stature was inversely associated with DM, with the odds for DM being 9% higher in the lowest stature quintile when compared to the highest stature quintile. Stratification for location of residence resulted in confirmation of the above-mentioned findings only in partici- pants living in urban environments.

CONCLUSIONS

We found an inverse association of stature with DM but not with HBP. Our data suggest that urban setting might be an important effect modifier of this association, which merits further investigation since it might provide valuable insights into the epidemiological transition occurring in developing countries.

Association of oral microbiome with type 2 diabetes risk

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

The oral microbiome may help to maintain systemic health, including how it affects blood glucose levels; however, direct evidence linking the oral microbiome with diabetes is lacking.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We compared the oral microbiome profiles of 98 participants with incident diabetes, 99 obese non-diabetics and 97 normal weight non-diabetics, via deep sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene.

RESULTS

We found that the phylum Actinobacteria was present significantly less abundant among patients with diabetes than among the controls (p = 3.9 × 10^-3 ); the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) was 0.27 (0.11-0.66) for those individuals who had relative abundance higher than the median value. Within this phylum, five families and seven genera were observed, and most of them were less abundant among patients with diabetes. Notably, genera Actinomyces and Atopobium were associated with 66% and 72% decreased risk of diabetes with p-values of 8.9 × 10^-3 and 7.4 × 10^-3 , respectively. Stratified analyses by race showed that most taxa in this phylum were associated with diabetes in both black and white participants. This phylum was also less abundant among non-diabetic obese subjects compared to normal weight individuals, particularly genera Mobiluncus, Corynebacterium and Bifidobacterium, which showed p < 0.05.

CONCLUSION

Our study revealed that multiple bacteria taxa in the phylum Actinobacteria are associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes. Some are also associated with the prevalence of obesity, suggesting that the oral microbiome may play an important role in diabetes etiology.

The Prevalence of Self-Reported Diabetes in the Australian National Eye Health Survey

OBJECTIVE

To present the prevalence of self-reported diabetes in Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants in the National Eye Health Survey.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

3098 non-Indigenous Australians aged 50-98 years and 1738 Indigenous Australians aged 40-92 years were examined in 30 randomly selected sites, stratified by remoteness. A history of diabetes was obtained using an interviewer-administered questionnaire.

RESULTS

13.91% (431/3098) of non-Indigenous Australians and 37.11% (645/1738) of Indigenous Australians had self-reported diabetes. The age-adjusted prevalence of self-reported diabetes for non-Indigenous and Indigenous Australians was 11.49% and 43.77%, respectively (p <0.001). The prevalence of self-reported diabetes increased markedly with age (OR = 1.04 per year, p = 0.017). Indigenous Australians living in very remote areas were more likely to have self-reported diabetes than those in major city areas (OR = 1.61, p = 0.038).

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of self-reported diabetes in Australia was high, with the prevalence being almost 4 times higher in Indigenous Australians compared with non-Indigenous Australians. With the prevalence of diabetes likely to increase, the results of this national survey may inform future policy, planning and funding allocation to assist in controlling the diabetes epidemic.

Health-related quality of life and self-reported long-term conditions: a population-based survey

Objective:

To estimate and compare the effect of self-reported long-term health conditions and sociodemographic factors on perceived health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

Methods:

A population-based survey of adults (18 to 65 years) living in Brasilia, Brazil, was conducted in 2012. Descriptive and multivariate analyses using a Tobit model were performed with data on sociodemographic variables, self-reported conditions, and the European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) health states, providing utility scores (preferred health state) between 0 and 1 for HRQoL estimates.

Results:

The mean utility of 1,820 adults interviewed (mean age: 38.4±12.6 years) was 0.883 (95%CI 0.874-0.892), with 76.2% in the highest utility range (0.8 to 1.0). EQ-5D dimensions with moderate problems were pain/discomfort (33.8%) and anxiety/depression (20.5%). Serious problems were reported by only 0.3% of the sample in the mobility and self-care domain and by 3.1% in the pain/discomfort domain. Multivariate analysis revealed reduced HRQoL in individuals with depression, diabetes, and hypertension. Living in satellite towns (outside the city core), belonging to a lower economic class, or not being formally employed were also associated with decreased HRQoL. Beta coefficients for these impacts ranged from -0.033 (not formally employed) to -0.141 (depression), reflecting the strongest impact.

Conclusion:

Of the long-term health conditions studied, depression had the greatest impact on HRQoL. Social class, employment status, and place of residence also affected HRQoL.

Will the Latino Mortality Advantage Endure?

Persons of Mexican origin and some other Latino groups in the United States have experienced a survival advantage compared with their non-Latino White counterparts, a pattern known as the Latino, Hispanic, or epidemiological paradox. However, high rates of obesity and diabetes among Latinos relative to Whites and continued increases in the prevalence of these conditions suggest that this advantage may soon disappear. Other phenomena, including high rates of disability in the older Latino population compared with Whites, new evidence of health declines shortly after migration to the United States, increasing environmental stressors for immigrants, and high-risk values of inflammatory markers among Latinos compared with Whites support this prediction. One powerful counterargument, however, is substantially lower smoking-attributable mortality among Latinos. Still, it is questionable as to whether smoking behavior can counteract the many forces at play that may impede Latinos from experiencing future improvements in longevity on a par with Whites.

Maternal Recall Versus Medical Records of Metabolic Conditions from the Prenatal Period: A Validation Study

To assess validity of maternally-reported diabetes and hypertensive disorders, and reliability of BMI measurements during periconception and pregnancy compared with medical records when mothers are interviewed 2-5 years after delivery. To investigate whether reporting accuracy differed by child's case status (autism, delays, typical development). Participants were mothers of 2-5 year old children with and without neurodevelopmental disorders from the CHARGE (CHildhood Autism Risks from Genetics and the Environment) Study who had both prenatal/delivery records and telephone interviews. Sensitivity and specificity of self-report in telephone interview was assessed by comparison with medical records; agreement was evaluated by kappa statistics. Deviations in reported BMI were evaluated with Bland-Altman plots and concordance correlation coefficient (CCC). Mothers of children with neurodevelopmental disorders (autism or developmental delay) reported metabolic conditions slightly more accurately than control mothers. For diabetes, sensitivity ranged from 73 to 87% and specificity was ≥98% across groups. For hypertensive disorders, sensitivity ranged from 57 to 77% and specificity from 93 to 98%. Reliability of BMI was high (CCC = 0.930); when grouped into BMI categories, a higher proportion of mothers of delayed children were correctly classified (κ(wt) = 0.93) compared with the autism group and controls (κ(wt) = 0.85 and κ(wt) = 0.84, respectively; P = 0.05). Multiparity was associated with higher discrepancies in BMI and misreporting of hypertensive disorders. For purposes of etiologic studies, self-reported diabetes and hypertensive disorders during periconception and pregnancy show high validity among mothers irrespective of child's case status. Recall of pre-pregnancy BMI is reliable compared with self-reported values in medical records.

Test-retest reliability of self-reported diabetes diagnosis in the Norwegian Women and Cancer Study: A population-based longitudinal study (n =33,919)

Objective:

Self-reported information from questionnaires is frequently used in epidemiological studies, but few of these studies provide information on the reproducibility of individual items contained in the questionnaire. We studied the test–retest reliability of self-reported diabetes among 33,919 participants in Norwegian Women and Cancer Study.

Methods:

The test–retest reliability of self-reported type 1 and type 2 diabetes diagnoses was evaluated between three self-administered questionnaires (completed in 1991, 1998, and 2005 by Norwegian Women and Cancer participants) by kappa agreement. The time interval between the test–retest studies was ~7 and ~14 years. Sensitivity of the kappa agreement for type 1 and type 2 diabetes diagnoses was assessed. Subgroup analysis was performed to assess whether test–retest reliability varies with age, body mass index, physical activity, education, and smoking status.

Results:

The kappa agreement for both types of self-reported diabetes diagnoses combined was good (⩾0.65) for all three test–retest studies (1991–1998, 1991–2005, and 1998–2005). The kappa agreement for type 1 diabetes was good (⩾0.73) in the 1991–2005 and the 1998–2005 test–retest studies, and very good (0.83) in the 1991–1998 test–retest study. The kappa agreement for type 2 diabetes was moderate (0.57) in the 1991–2005 test–retest study and good (⩾0.66) in the 1991–1998 and 1998–2005 test–retest studies. The overall kappa agreement in the 1991–1998 test–retest study was stronger than in the 1991–2005 test–retest study and the 1998–2005 test–retest study. There was no clear pattern of inconsistency in the kappa agreements within different strata of age, BMI, physical activity, and smoking. The kappa agreement was strongest among the respondents with 17 or more years of education, while generally it was weaker among the least educated group.

Conclusion:

The test–retest reliability of the diabetes was acceptable and there was no clear pattern of inconsistency in the kappa agreement stratified by age, body mass index, physical activity, and smoking. The study suggests that self-reported diabetes diagnosis from middle-aged women enrolled in the Norwegian Women and Cancer Study is reliable.

Comparison of self-reported and biomedical data on hypertension and diabetes: findings from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS)

OBJECTIVES

We examined the level of agreement between biomedical and self-reported measurements of hypertension and diabetes in a Chinese national community sample, and explored associations of the agreement and possible contextual effects among provinces and geographic regions in China.

DESIGN

Secondary analysis of a cohort sample.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Community samples were drawn from the national baseline survey of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS, 2011-2012) through multistage probability sampling, which included households with members 45 years of age or above with a total sample size of 17,708 individuals.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Sensitivity, specificity and κ were used as measurements of agreements or validity; variance of validity measures among provinces and communities was estimated using random-effects models.

RESULTS

Self-reports for hypertension and diabetes showed high specificity (96.3% and 98.3%, respectively) but low sensitivity (56.3% and 61.5%, respectively). Agreement between self-reported data and biomedical measurements was moderate for both hypertension (κ 0.57) and diabetes (κ 0.65), with respondents who were older, of higher socioeconomic status, better educated and who had hospital admissions in the past 12 months showing stronger agreements than their counterparts. Large and significant variations in the sensitivity among provinces for hypertension, and among communities for both hypertension and diabetes, could neither be attributed to the effects of respondents' characteristics nor to the contextual effects of city-village differences.

CONCLUSIONS

As a considerable number of people in the overall sample were unaware of their conditions, self-reports will lead to an underestimation of the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes. However, in more developed communities or provinces, self-reported data can be a reliable estimate of the prevalence of the two conditions. Further investigations of contextual effects at provincial and community levels could highlight public health strategies to improve awareness of the two conditions.

Trends in the prevalence of self-reported diabetes in Brazilian capital cities and the Federal District, 2006-2014

BACKGROUND

Diabetes is increasing globally, particularly in low and middle income countries, posing a great challenge to health systems. Brazil is currently ranked 4th in the world in terms of the absolute number of persons with diabetes. Our aim was to analyze the trend in self-reported diabetes prevalence between 2006 and 2014 in Brazilian adults.

METHODS

We used data from the national telephone survey-VIGITEL. Over 40,000 individuals from probabilistic sample of subjects ≥18 years old residing in 26 state capitals and the Federal District were interviewed per year in each location. Estimates were weighted to represent the surveyed population. We analyzed trends with a linear regression model. We adjusted prevalence with a probability predictive margins model, using as reference categories: men, 18-24 years, ≥12 years of schooling and lean/normal weight.

RESULTS

From 2006 to 2014, the overall prevalence increased from 5.5 to 8.0 %, a net rise of 0.26 %/year (P = 0.001). After adjustment for sex, age, schooling and BMI categories, the trend decreased only slightly to 0.25 %/year. Relatively greater adjusted increases were present in men (0.28 %/year), in those ≥65 years (0.52 %/year), with ≤8 years of schooling (0.33 %/year) and in those overweight (0.24 %/year). The most consistent upward trends were observed among men (coefficient of determination, R² = 0.93), those with educational attainment of 0-8 years (R² = 0.81), those > 65 years (R² = 0.79) and those who were overweight (R² = 0.75). There was no significant trend in diabetes prevalence for the obese. As expected, the prevalence of self-reported diabetes was always higher among those with greater age, less schooling, in women, and in those with obesity. Being obese was associated with having more than twice the prevalence of diabetes of those normal/underweight.

CONCLUSIONS

Prevalence of self-reported diabetes in Brazilian adults has risen between 2006 and 2014, especially among those 65 years or older, even after taking into account the sociodemographic and nutritional changes during the period. Regardless of possible causes (higher incidence, increased diagnosis or decreased mortality), this increase in prevalence has enormous implications for the health system, representing >300,000 newly diagnosed cases of diabetes yearly requiring health care.

Accuracy of Self-reported Hypertension, Diabetes, and Hypercholesterolemia: Analysis of a Representative Sample of Korean Older Adults

Objectives

This study will assess the accuracy of self-reported hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia among Korean older adults.

Methods

Using data from the fourth Korean National Health Examination and Nutrition Survey (KNHANES IV, 2007–2009), we selected 7,270 individuals aged 50 years and older who participated in both a health examination and a health interview survey. Self-reported prevalence of hypertension (HTN), diabetes mellitus (DM), and hypercholesterolemia was compared with measured data (arterial systolic/diastolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, and total cholesterol).

Results

An agreement between self-reported and measured data was only moderate for hypercholesterolemia (κ, 0.48), even though it was high for HTN (κ, 0.72) and DM (κ, 0. 82). Sensitivity was low in hypercholesterolemia (46.7%), but high in HTN and DM (73% and 79.3%, respectively). Multiple analysis shows that predictors for sensitivity differed by disease. People with less education were more likely to exhibit lower sensitivity to HTN and hypercholesterolemia, and people living in rural areas were less sensitive to DM and hypercholesterolemia.

Conclusion

Caution is needed in interpreting the results of community studies using self-reported data on chronic diseases, especially hypercholesterolemia, among adults aged 50 years and older.

Predictors of Adherence to Multiple Clinical Preventive Recommendations among Adults with Diabetes in Spain

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to describe adherence to seven clinical preventive services among Spanish adults with diabetes, to compare adherence with people without diabetes and to identify predictor of adherence to multiple practices among adults with diabetes.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study based on data obtained from the European Health Survey for Spain 2009 and the Spanish National Health Survey 2011. We analyzed those aged 40-69 years (n= 20,948). Diabetes status was self-reported. The study variables included adherence to blood pressure (BP) checkup, cholesterol measurement, influenza vaccination, dental examination, fecal occult blood test (FOBT), mammography and cytology. Independent variables included socio-demographic characteristics, variables related to health status and lifestyle factors.

RESULTS

The study sample included 1,647 subjects with diabetes and 19,301 without. Over 90% had measured their BP and cholesterol in the last year, 44.4% received influenza immunization, 36.4% had a dental checkup within the year and only 8.1% underwent a FOBT. Among diabetic women 75.4% had received a mammography and 52.4% a cytology in the recommended periods. The adherence to BP and cholesterol measurements and influenza vaccination was significantly higher among those suffering diabetes and cytology and dental checkup were lower. Only 63.4% of people with diabetes had fulfilled half or more of the recommended practices. Female sex, higher educational level, being married or cohabiting, higher number of chronic conditions and number of physician visits increased the adherence to multiple preventive practices. For each unhealthy lifestyle reported the probability of having a higher adherence level decreased.

CONCLUSIONS

Acceptable adherence is found for BP and cholesterol checkups and mammography. Unacceptably low rates were found for influenza vaccine, dental care, cytology and FOBT. Moreover, preventive services are provided neither equitably nor efficiently so future research needs to identify individual and organizational factors that allow interventions to reach these subjects with diabetes.

Validity of diabetes self-reports in the Women's Health Initiative

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to determine the positive and negative predictive values of self-reported diabetes during the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) clinical trials.

METHODS

All WHI trial participants from four field centers who self-reported diabetes at baseline or during follow-up, as well as a random sample of women who did not self-report diabetes, were identified. Women were surveyed regarding diagnosis and treatment. Medical records were obtained and reviewed for documented treatment with antidiabetes medications or for physician diagnosis of diabetes supported by laboratory measurements of glucose.

RESULTS

We identified 1,275 eligible participants; 732 consented and provided survey data. Medical records were obtained for 715 women (prevalent diabetes, 207; incident diabetes, 325; no diabetes, 183). Records confirmed 91.8% (95% CI, 87.0-95.0) of self-reported prevalent diabetes cases and 82.2% (95% CI, 77.5-86.1) of incident diabetes cases. Among those who never self-reported diabetes, there was no medical record or laboratory evidence for diabetes in 94.5% (95% CI, 89.9-97.2). Women with higher body mass index were more likely to accurately self-report incident diabetes. In a subgroup of participants enrolled in fee-for-service Medicare, a claims algorithm correctly classified nearly all diabetes cases and noncases.

CONCLUSIONS

Among WHI clinical trial participants, there are high positive predictive values of self-reported prevalent diabetes (91.8%) and incident diabetes (82.2%) and a high negative predictive value (94.5%) when diabetes is not reported. For participants enrolled in fee-for-service Medicare, a claims algorithm has high positive and negative predictive values.

Maternal diabetes and the risk of autism spectrum disorders in the offspring: a systematic review and meta-analysis

We performed a systematic literature search regarding maternal diabetes before and during pregnancy and the risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in the offspring. Of the 178 potentially relevant articles, 12 articles including three cohort studies and nine case-control studies were included in the meta-analysis. Both the meta-analyses of cohort studies and case-control studies showed significant associations. The pooled relative risk and 95% confidence interval (CI) among cohort studies was 1.48 (1.25-1.75, p < 0.001). For case-control studies, the pooled odds ratio and 95% CI was 1.72 (1.24-2.41, p = 0.001). No indication of significant heterogeneity across studies or publication bias was observed. In conclusion, maternal diabetes was significantly associated with a greater risk of ASD in the offspring.

Prevalence, correlates, and description of self-reported diabetes in brazilian capitals - results from a telephone survey

INTRODUCTION

The prevalence of diabetes is increasing worldwide. The objective of this study is to estimate the prevalence of self-reported diabetes in Brazilian adults and to describe its population correlates as well as the clinical characteristics of the reported cases.

METHODS

We analyzed basic and supplementary data of 54.144 subjects participating in VIGITEL 2011 (Surveillance System for Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Diseases), a telephone survey based on a probabilistic sample of subjects ≥ 18 years old residing in Brazilian state capitals and the Federal District. Estimates reported are weighted so as to represent the surveyed population.

RESULTS

The prevalence of self-reported diabetes was 6.3% (95% CI 5.9-6.7), increasing markedly with age and nutritional status, and decreasing with level of education. Prevalence was higher among those self-declaring their race/color as black. Most cases (90%) reported the diagnosis being made at 35 years or older. The vast majority (99.8%) of self-reported cases informed having previously performed at least one glucose test, and 76% of those not reporting diabetes also informed having previously performed glucose testing. Most cases (92.6%) reported following some form of diabetes treatment, 79% taking medication.

CONCLUSION

The estimated prevalence of known diabetes found, 6.3%, is consistent with estimates given by international summaries. The additional data collected in VIGITEL 2011 regarding previous glucose testing and current treatment support the use of telephone-based information to monitor the prevalence of known diabetes in Brazilian capitals.

Population attributable fraction of type 2 diabetes due to physical inactivity in adults: a systematic review

Background

Physical inactivity is a global pandemic. The population attributable fraction (PAF) of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) associated with physical inactivity ranges from 3% to 40%. The purpose of this systematic review was to determine the best estimate of PAF for T2DM attributable to physical inactivity and absence of sport participation or exercise for men and women.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review that included a comprehensive search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, SportDiscus, and CINAHL (1946 to April 30 2013) limited by the terms adults and English. Two reviewers screened studies, extracted PAF related data and assessed the quality of the selected studies. We reconstructed 95% CIs for studies missing these data using a substitution method.

Results

Of the eight studies reporting PAF in T2DM, two studies included prospective cohort studies (3 total) and six were reviews. There were distinct variations in quality of defining and measuring physical inactivity, T2DM and adjusting for confounders. In the US, PAFs for absence of playing sport ranged from 13% (95% CI: 3, 22) in men and 29% (95% CI: 17, 41) in women. In Finland, PAFs for absence of exercise ranged from 3% (95% CI: -11, 16) in men to 7% (95% CI: -9, 20) in women.

Conclusions

The PAF of physical inactivity due to T2DM is substantial. Physical inactivity is a modifiable risk factor for T2DM. The contribution of physical inactivity to T2DM differs by sex; PAF also differs if physical inactivity is defined as the absence of ‘sport’ or absence of ‘exercise’.

Associations between mental disorders and subsequent onset of hypertension

BACKGROUND

Previous work has suggested significant associations between various psychological symptoms (e.g., depression, anxiety, anger, alcohol abuse) and hypertension. However, the presence and extent of associations between common mental disorders and subsequent adult onset of hypertension remain unclear. Further, there are few data available on how such associations vary by gender or over life course.

METHODS

Data from the World Mental Health Surveys (comprising 19 countries and 52,095 adults) were used. Survival analyses estimated associations between first onset of common mental disorders and subsequent onset of hypertension, with and without psychiatric comorbidity adjustment. Variations in the strength of associations by gender and by life course stage of onset of both the mental disorder and hypertension were investigated.

RESULTS

After psychiatric comorbidity adjustment, depression, panic disorder, social phobia, specific phobia, binge eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, alcohol abuse and drug abuse were significantly associated with subsequent diagnosis of hypertension (with odds ratios ranging from 1.1 to 1.6). Number of lifetime mental disorders was associated with subsequent hypertension in a dose-response fashion. For social phobia and alcohol abuse, associations with hypertension were stronger for males than females. For panic disorder, the association with hypertension was particularly apparent in earlier-onset hypertension.

CONCLUSIONS

Depression, anxiety, impulsive eating disorders and substance use disorders were significantly associated with the subsequent diagnosis of hypertension. These data underscore the importance of early detection of mental disorders, and of physical health monitoring in people with these conditions.

Epidemiology and genetics of common mental disorders in the general population: the PEGASUS-Murcia project

BACKGROUND

Multidisciplinary collaboration between clinicians, epidemiologists, neurogeneticists and statisticians on research projects has been encouraged to improve our knowledge of the complex mechanisms underlying the aetiology and burden of mental disorders. The PEGASUS-Murcia (Psychiatric Enquiry to General Population in Southeast Spain-Murcia) project was designed to assess the prevalence of common mental disorders and to identify the risk and protective factors, and it also included the collection of biological samples to study the gene-environmental interactions in the context of the World Mental Health Survey Initiative.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The PEGASUS-Murcia project is a new cross-sectional face-to-face interview survey based on a representative sample of non-institutionalised adults in the Region of Murcia (Mediterranean Southeast, Spain). Trained lay interviewers used the latest version of the computer-assisted personal interview of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 3.0) for use in Spain, specifically adapted for the project. Two biological samples of buccal mucosal epithelium will be collected from each interviewed participant, one for DNA extraction for genomic and epigenomic analyses and the other to obtain mRNA for gene expression quantification. Several quality control procedures will be implemented to assure the highest reliability and validity of the data. This article describes the rationale, sampling methods and questionnaire content as well as the laboratory methodology.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Informed consent will be obtained from all participants and a Regional Ethics Research Committee has approved the protocol. Results will be disseminated in peer-reviewed publications and presented at the national and the international conferences.

DISCUSSION

Cross-sectional studies, which combine detailed personal information with biological data, offer new and exciting opportunities to study the gene-environmental interactions in the aetiology of common mental disorders in representative samples of the general population. A collaborative multidisciplinary research approach offers the potential to advance our knowledge of the underlying complex interactions and this opens the field for further innovative study designs in psychiatric epidemiology.

Diabetes mellitus, insulin treatment, diabetes duration, and risk of biliary tract cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma in a European cohort

BACKGROUND

Evidence on associations between self-reported diabetes mellitus, diabetes duration, age at diabetes diagnosis, insulin treatment, and risk of biliary tract cancer (BTC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), independent of general and abdominal obesity is scarce.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We conducted a prospective analysis in the EPIC-cohort study among 363 426 participants with self-reported diabetes data. Multivariable adjusted relative risks and 95% confidence intervals were estimated from Cox regression models. In a nested case-control subset, analyses were carried out in HCV/HBV-negative individuals.

RESULTS

During 8.5 years of follow-up, 204 BTC cases [including 75 gallbladder cancer (GBC) cases], and 176 HCC cases were identified. Independent of body mass index and waist-to-height ratio diabetes status was associated with higher risk of BTC and HCC [1.77 (1.00-3.13) and 2.17 (1.36-3.47)]. For BTC, the risk seemed to be higher in participants with shorter diabetes duration and those not treated with insulin. Regarding cancer subsites, diabetes was only associated with GBC [2.72 (1.17-6.31)]. The risk for HCC was particularly higher in participants treated with insulin. The results were not appreciably different in HCV/HBV-negative individuals.

CONCLUSION(S)

This study supports the hypothesis that diabetes is a risk factor for BTC (particularly GBC) and HCC. Further research is required to establish whether diabetes treatment or duration is associated with these cancers.

Validity and reliability of self-reported diabetes in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

The objective of this study was to assess the validity of prevalent and incident self-reported diabetes compared with multiple reference definitions and to assess the reliability (repeatability) of a self-reported diagnosis of diabetes. Data from 10,321 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study who attended visit 4 (1996-1998) were analyzed. Prevalent self-reported diabetes was compared with reference definitions defined by fasting glucose and medication use obtained at visit 4. Incident self-reported diabetes was assessed during annual follow-up telephone calls and was compared with reference definitions defined by fasting glucose, hemoglobin A1c, and medication use obtained during an in-person visit attended by a subsample of participants (n = 1,738) in 2004-2005. The sensitivity of prevalent self-reported diabetes ranged from 58.5% to 70.8%, and specificity ranged from 95.6% to 96.8%, depending on the reference definition. Similarly, the sensitivity of incident self-reported diabetes ranged from 55.9% to 80.4%, and specificity ranged from 84.5% to 90.6%. Percent positive agreement of self-reported diabetes during 9 years of repeat assessments ranged from 92.7% to 95.4%. Both prevalent self-reported diabetes and incident self-reported diabetes were 84%-97% specific and 55%-80% sensitive as compared with reference definitions using glucose and medication criteria. Self-reported diabetes was >92% reliable over time.

Unfavourable life-course social gradient of coronary heart disease within Spain: a low-incidence welfare-state country

OBJECTIVE

Social position has yet to be established as a risk factor of coronary heart disease (CHD). Our aim was to investigate an individual life-course social position gradient link with CHD incidence in the EPIC-Spain cohort.

METHODS

41,066 participants, mostly 30-65 years old, and free of cardiovascular disease at baseline (1992-1996) were followed up for a mean of 10.4 years. A combined score of paternal occupation in childhood and own adult education was used to assess individual life-course risk accumulation. Hazard ratios of CHD were estimated using Cox models, stratifying by centre, and age, and adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors.

RESULTS

583 participants (80 % men) developed a definite CHD event. Paternal occupational class IV was associated with CHD in all models in men. The educational gradient remained significant after adjusting for diet and physical activity (p = 0.01). All adjusted risk of incident CHD rose by 23 % (95 % CI 6-42 %) per category increase of life-course social position score in men. No significant associations were found in women.

CONCLUSIONS

Individual life-course social position gradient was adversely related to incident CHD in Spanish men.