High Prevalence of Gestational Diabetes in Women from Ethnic Minority Groups

Abstract

The influence of ethnic origin, body mass index, and parity on the frequency of gestational diabetes was assessed in 11,205 consecutive women attending a multiracial antenatal clinic in London, where all women were screened for gestational diabetes. Logistic regression was used to model the relationship between gestational diabetes and ethnic origin, age, body mass index (BMI), and parity. Results were presented as adjusted odds ratios, where the reference categories are White women, age < 25 years, BMI < 27, and parity < 3. Ethnic origin was the dominant influence on the prevalence of gestational diabetes. Women from ethnic groups other than White had a higher frequency of gestational diabetes than White women (2.9% vs 0.4%, p < 0.001). Compared to White women the relative risk of gestational diabetes in the other ethnic groups was: Black 3.1 (95% confidence limits 1.8-5.5), South East Asian 7.6 (4.1-14.1), Indian 11.3 (6.8-18.8), and miscellaneous 5.9 (3.5-9.9). Increasing age was an independent risk factor. The relative risk was higher in women > or = 35 years in all ethnic groups other than in South East Asian women. Obesity (BMI > or = 27) was a further independent risk factor in all ethnic groups except in the Indian and South East Asian women. Parity > or = 3 increased the relative risk of gestational diabetes in the White, Black, and South East Asian women only.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Plasma AA and DHA levels are not compromised in newly diagnosed gestational diabetic women

“…These findings are consistent with earlier reports, which (Dornhorst et al, 1992), and high parity (Moses, l996) are risk factors for gestational diabetes. Approximately 53% of the GDM women were of African ancestry.…”

Effects of Parity on Pregnancy Hormonal Profiles Across Ethnic Groups with a Diverse Incidence of Breast Cancer

“…Asian women had a significantly higher prevalence of gestational diabetes compared with Caucasians. This observation is consistent with previously published studies (45)(46)(47)(48). Although the exact reasons for higher incidence of gestational diabetes in Asians are unknown, the differences in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism between Asian and Caucasian women may provide some explanation for this finding (46).…”

Non classical risk factors for gestational diabetes mellitus: a systematic review of the literature

“…Studies of type 2 diabetes mellitus show that the first and the second generation of Japanese born in the USA present a gradually higher prevalence when compared to Japanese born in Japan and even greater than those who are residents of Japan 50 . Dornhorst et al 51 , in London, found ethnic origin to be a stronger predictor of gestational diabetes mellitus than age, BMI or parity, and a similar result was also found by Khine et al 52 among pregnant American women, when they evaluated prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus stratified by race and age. Clear racial differences had also been found in the study of nurses, in which women who were Afro-American, Hispanic or that had Asian ethnicity had a significantly increased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus, when compared with whites, even after adjustment for BMI, age, family history of diabetes mellitus, level of physical activity and parity.…”