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. 2024 Mar 25;7(3):e1951.
doi: 10.1002/hsr2.1951. eCollection 2024 Mar.

Association of BMI and incidence of type 2 diabetes in Saudi population

Qasem AlJabr  1 , Mohammed Alalawi  1 , Baqer Aldhneen  1 , Ali Al Gharash  2 , Mohammed Aldabbab  1 , Habib Aldabbab  3 , Ali Bu-Khamseen  1 , Abdullah Alkattan  4 , Abdullah Al Sayafi  5
Affiliations

Association of BMI and incidence of type 2 diabetes in Saudi population

Qasem AlJabr et al. Health Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Objective: The study aims to identify the optimal body mass index (BMI) cut-off for obesity based on the risk of developing type 2 diabetes among the general population visiting primary health care in Saudi Arabia.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Al-Ahsa City, Saudi Arabia, from January to June 2022. The study included Saudi citizens aged 35 and older who had not previously or currently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Data were collected through electronic health records from 48 primary healthcare centers. The variables derived from medical records were age, gender, HbA1c, weight, and height.

Results: The BMI mean among nondiabetic, prediabetic, and diabetic groups were 29.6 ± 6.2, 31.2 ± 6.6, and 31.7 ± 6.9 kg/m2, respectively. The BMI of the prediabetic and diabetic males were 30.1 ± 6.3 and 30.5 ± 6.5 kg/m2, respectively, and the BMI of the pre-diabetic and diabetic females were 31.9 ± 6.6 and 32.8 ± 7 kg/m2, respectively.

Conclusion: The current study correlated the result of HbA1c levels with BMI cut-off values as a modifiable risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes among the Al-Ahsa population in Saudi Arabia. The BMI mean among nondiabetic, prediabetic, and diabetic groups were 29.6 ± 6.2, 31.2 ± 6.6, and 31.7 ± 6.9 kg/m2, respectively. This study provided a list of BMI values as cut-off points with their sensitivity and specificity measures so the policymaker could utilize them. The best cut-off point could be decided based on cost-effective analysis. Further studies in the future might help evaluate the efficacy of screening programs and the association between BMI and other types of diabetes.

Keywords: Al‐Ahsa; Saudi Arabia; body mass index; obesity; type 2 diabetes.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Receiver Operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the presumable area under the curve based on body mass index scoring results. Blue line: ROC curve.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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