Prevalence and Associated Factors of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Among Chinese Hakka Individuals Aged 35–65 Years: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Purpose

The prevalence of diabetes in China is increasing, influenced by economic and genetic factors, with varying rates across regions. The Hakka population in Ganzhou city has unique exposures compared to surrounding districts, while limited research reported the epidemiological characteristics of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in this population. This study aims to investigate the prevalence and influencing factors of T2DM among the population, thereby establishing a robust foundation for disease prevention and control measures.

Patients and Methods

In 2017, a multistage random sampling method selected 3028 individuals from Ganzhou City’s permanent resident population. Physical examinations, blood tests, and questionnaire surveys were conducted for data collection, with binary logistic regression analysis used to examine factors affecting T2DM prevalence.

Results

A total of 2978 valid samples were included in this study. The average age of the surveyed population was 52.83±7.88 years, comprising 966 males and 2012 females. The prevalence rates of T2DM were 11.8% and 12.9% in males and females, respectively, while the standardized prevalence rate was recorded as 9.1%. Logistic regression analysis revealed that age (Odds Ratio[OR]=1.05, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]:1.03–1.06), hypertension (OR=2.22, 95% CI:1.71–2.93), family history of diabetes (OR= 3.54, 95% CI: 2.58–4.85), overweight (OR=1.73, 95% CI: 1.20–2.48), high total cholesterol (OR=1.17, 95% CI:1.09–1.27), elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (OR=1.19, 95% CI:1.00–1.40) and serum insulin (OR=1.05, 95% CI:1.03–1.06) were identified as significant risk factors for T2DM, Conversely, a higher level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (OR=0.55, 95% CI:0.36–0.84) was found to be inversely related to T2DM development.

Conclusion

The prevalence of T2DM in Ganzhou city has significantly increased. The effective implementation of comprehensive management strategies aimed at addressing hypertension, overweight, dyslipidemia, and abnormal serum insulin level is essential for promoting overall well-being and efficiently controlling the prevalence of T2DM.

Keywords:

• type 2 diabetes mellitus
• cross-sectional studies
• epidemiology
• influence factors

Ethic Statement

The study adhered to the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki, and the protocol received approval from the medical ethics committee of Gannan Medical University (Ethics Committee Number: NO.2016032).

Informed Consent

All participants willingly volunteered to participate in this study and provided signed informed consent.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all study participants who facilitated this study. This study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81660566, 81960621), PhD initiation fund project of Gannan Medical University (QD201602, QD20201), and Open Project of the Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease Prevention and Treatment, Ministry of Education (XN201920).

Disclosure

The authors declare no conflicts of interest in this work.