Resumen de Educational disparities in diabetes: a mediation analysis through BMI among urban adults from Argentina

Santiago Rodríguez López, Natalia Tumas

• Introduction:

  Low socio-economic status is linked to a higher probability of having type 2 diabetes mellitus in adult - hood, including body mass index as a mediation factor in such association. However, the evidence from low- and middle-in - come countries is scarce and the mechanisms beyond this re - lationship are not yet completely acknowledge.

  Objective:

  The purposes of this study are to i) evaluate the potential mediating role of body mass index in the rela - tionship between educational background and diabetes mel - litus; ii) assess whether these associations vary by gender and age.

  Methods:

  Cross-sectional study. Data came from the Argentine National Health Survey of Risk Factors 2013 (n=30,119, 18-years-old and older). Age-adjusted gender- specific simple mediation modeling was conducted to esti - mate the potential mediation role of body mass index, in the association between educational level and self-reported dia - betes mellitus.

  Results:

  In women there was a positive direct (OR 1.11;

  95% CI 1.09, 1.13) and indirect -through body mass index- associations (OR 1.12; 95% CI 1.09, 1.36) between low edu - cation and diabetes mellitus. The associations were also sig - nificant for older women (50 years +), directly (OR 1.28; 95% CI 1.12, 1.44) and indirectly (OR 1.09; 95% CI 1.07, 1.13). In men, low education was associated with lower odds of dia - betes mellitus (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.76, 0.98).

  Conclusion:

  Decreasing body mass index might be an in - termediate target to reduce the occurrence of diabetes melli - tus among Argentinean adults, particularly among socially disadvantaged women.