Diabetes mellitus in Turkish immigrants in Sweden

Abstract

This study analyses the risk of self-reported diabetes mellitus among Turkish-born immigrants in Sweden. Two simple random samples were used: The Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare Immigrant Survey, and the Swedish Survey of Living Conditions, both from 1996. Totally 526 Turkish immigrants, 285 men and 241 women, were compared with 2854 Swedish controls, 1425 men and 1429 women, all in ages 27-60 years. Data were analysed by sex in an age-adjusted model, and a full model also included education, employment status, BMI and country of birth (logistic regression). Among Turkish men, age-adjusted diabetes prevalence was not higher than among Swedish men, odds ratio (OR) 1.04 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.35-3.11). Among Turkish women, age-adjusted diabetes prevalence was higher than among Swedish women, OR 3.22 (95% CI 1.36-7.64), but when also adjusting for educational level, employment status and BMI, OR was 1.22 (95% CI 0.41-3.66). We conclude, that age-adjusted presence of known diabetes was higher among Turkish-born women than among Swedish women, but was explained by lower employment rate, lower educational status and a higher level of overweight and obesity.