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Birth weight could factor into high diabetes rates in black population
Lower than average birth weights could be putting black women at higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes, according to research published in Diabetes Care.
“High prevalence of low birth weight in African Americans may explain, in part, the higher occurrence of type 2 diabetes in this population,” Edward A. Ruiz-Narváez, ScD, of the Boston University School of Public Health, told Endocrine Today.
Edward A. Ruiz-Narváez
Ruiz-Narváez and colleagues followed 21,624 women enrolled in the ongoing prospective Black Women’s Health Study over 16 years. Participants provided birth weight data during a baseline survey and continue to complete biennial questionnaires on incident diseases and risk factors.
Using Cox proportional hazard models, the researchers estimated incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for three categories of birth weight — very low (<1,500 g), low (1,500–2,499 g) and high (≥4,000 g) — in reference to normal birth weight (2,500–3,999 g).
Adjustments were made for age, questionnaire cycle, family history of diabetes, caloric intake, preterm birth, physical activity, years of education and neighborhood socioeconomic status; models were adjusted both with and without adult BMI.
By the end of follow-up, 2,388 cases of incident diabetes were recorded. Women with very low birth weight had a 40% higher risk for disease (IRR=1.40; 95% CI, 1.08–1.82) and those with low birth weight had a 13% higher risk (IRR=1.13; 1.02–1.25) compared with normal birth weight. The estimates did not change appreciably with adjustment for BMI.
“This relation was not mediated by BMI, suggesting that mechanisms independent of BMI are responsible for the observed association,” the researchers wrote. — by Allegra Tiver
Disclosures: The work was supported by grants from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, the National Cancer Institute and the American Heart Association.