Analysing Gender, Body Mass Index (BMI), Self-Reported Risk Factors as predictors of Type 2 Diabetes : A Case Study

Abstract

Background: Diabetes is a serious global health problem. In humanitarian crises, the delays in diagnosis and appropriate treatment of diabetes can exacerbate the condition. This study aims to fill an important gap in our understanding of diabetes risk factors in the unique context of the current situation in Ukraine. We sought to investigate the impact of gender, body mass index (BMI), and self-reported risk factors, including alcohol consumption, smoking, sedentary behaviour, overweight and unhealthy eating habits on the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D) among Ukrainians. Methods: This cross-sectional study utilised secondary data from individuals who visited medical mobile teams (MMTs) in four Ukrainian regions (Lviv, Rivne, Dnipro, and Poltava) between 6th of April and 8th of August 2023. The analysis involved 12,092 datasets. Multiple logistic regression was employed to explore various risk factors associated with T2D. Results: Our analysis revealed several significant predictors of T2D, including Gender, BMI, Unhealthy Diet, Overweight, and Sedentary Lifestyle. Overweight individuals were 3.016 times more likely to have T2D, while each unit increase in BMI raised the likelihood by 1.046-fold. An unhealthy diet increased the risk by 1.286 times. Women had 1.157 times higher T2D prevalence than men. Sedentary individuals were 16.1% less likely to have T2D. Conclusions: This study established the association between T2D and several risk factors in the context of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. Notably, this study is significant in that self-perceived overweight status was found to be the most important risk factor associated with T2D prevalence. These findings provide important guidance for organisations seeking to support T2D diagnosis and management efforts in Ukraine and emphasise the need to recognise self-perceived overweight status as an important consideration.