RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Anthropometric changes and risk of diabetes: are there sex differences? A longitudinal study of Alberta’s Tomorrow Project
JF BMJ Open
JO BMJ Open
FD British Medical Journal Publishing Group
SP e023829
DO 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023829
VO 9
IS 7
A1 Ming Ye
A1 Paula J Robson
A1 Dean T Eurich
A1 Jennifer E Vena
A1 Jian-Yi Xu
A1 Jeffrey A Johnson
YR 2019
UL http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/7/e023829.abstract
AB Objectives To characterise the sex-specific difference in the association between anthropometric changes and risk of diabetes in the general population in Canada.Setting and participants From 2000 to 2008, Alberta’s Tomorrow Project (ATP) invited Alberta’s residents aged 35–69 years to a prospective cohort study. A total of 19 655 diabetes-free ATP participants having anthropometrics measured at the baseline and follow-ups were included.Design and outcome measures A longitudinal study design was used to examine the association between anthropometric changes and risk of diabetes and the sex difference in this association. Changes in weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist-hip-ratio (WHR) were calculated as the difference between baseline and follow-up measures. Diabetes cases were identified using the Canadian National Diabetes Surveillance System algorithm with administrative healthcare data (2000–2015) linked to the ATP cohort. The sex-specific association between anthropometric changes and incidence of diabetes were examined by multivariable Cox regression models.Results Changes in weight, BMI, WC and WHR over time were positively associated with incidence of diabetes in both men and women. The sex difference in risk of diabetes associated with 1 standard deviation (SD) increase in anthropometrics was 0.07 (95% CI −0.02 to 0.14) for weight, 0.08 (95% CI −0.03 to 0.17) for BMI, 0.07 (95% CI −0.02 to 0.15) for WC and 0.09 (95% CI 0.03 to 0.13) for WHR. Similar results were found in sex difference in the associations with changes per 5% and changes per categories (5% loss, ±5%, 5% gain).Conclusions The positive association between anthropometric changes and risk of diabetes was generally stronger in men than in women. However, this sex-specific difference of approximately 10% of the total risk associated with anthropometric changes had limited significance. For population-based public health programmes aiming to control obesity and incidence of diabetes, it may not be necessary to set up sex-specific goals for anthropometric reduction.