Obesity Distribution In Working-Age Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus In South Indian Population

Abstract

Background:Type 2 DM and obesity is increasingly seen in patients of working age population and is found to affect their productivity. Hence understanding the obesity distribution of Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients among working age population is essential in effective management of the disease in such patients.

Methods: Type 2 DM patients of ≤5 years duration who are coming under working age population, age between 30 and 60 years, were selected from non-communicable disease clinics of Family health centres in North Kerala using multi-stage sampling. Anthropometric measurements like height, weight, waist circumference, and hip circumference were measured along with clinical data. Patients were classified into three Body mass index (BMI) categories: Lean, Normal weight, and Overweight using the South Asian cut-offs of WHO guidelines. Abdominal obesity among them was identified using waist circumference.

Results: Study included 352 patients with type 2 DM satisfying the inclusion criteria. Majority of them (73.58%) were overweight. Out of the rest 5.11% were lean and 21.31% were normal body weight. 88.07% of the patients had abdominal obesity. Overweight diabetic patients were 49.30 times more likely to have abdominal obesity than lean diabetics. Compared to males, a higher proportion of females were overweight (62.79% vs 79.82%). Odds of females having abdominal obesity is also 11.40 times higher than the odds of males having it. Occupational activity groups also differed significantly among themselves in their BMI [χ2 (2, 352) =9.74, p=0.008] and Waist circumference[ χ2 (2, 352) =8.86, p=0.012]

Conclusion: Majority of type 2 diabetes patients in Kerala are overweight with associated abdominal obesity. Females in the region are more likely to be overweight and have abdominal obesity.  Patients who are occupied in manual and skilled labour had lower proportion of obesity whereas those who are active homemakers tend to have higher proportion of obesity.