Sitting Time and Waist Circumference Are Associated With Glycemia in U.K. South Asians

Abstract

OBJECTIVETo investigate the independent contributions of waist circumference, physical activity, and sedentary behavior on glycemia in South Asians living in Scotland.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSParticipants were 1,228 (523 men and 705 women) adults of Indian or Pakistani origin screened for the Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity in South Asians (PODOSA) trial. All undertook an oral glucose tolerance test, had physical activity and sitting time assessed by International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and had waist circumference measured.RESULTSMean ± SD age and waist circumference were 49.8 ± 10.1 years and 99.2 ± 10.2 cm, respectively. One hundred ninety-one participants had impaired fasting glycemia or impaired glucose tolerance, and 97 had possible type 2 diabetes. In multivariate regression analysis, age (0.012 mmol ⋅ L−1 ⋅ year−1 [95% CI 0.006–0.017]) and waist circumference (0.018 mmol ⋅ L−1 ⋅ cm−1 [0.012–0.024]) were significantly independently associated with fasting glucose concentration, and age (0.032 mmol ⋅ L−1 ⋅ year−1 [0.016–0.049]), waist (0.057 mmol ⋅ L−1 ⋅ cm−1 [0.040–0.074]), and sitting time (0.097 mmol ⋅ L−1 ⋅ h−1 ⋅ day−1 [0.036–0.158]) were significantly independently associated with 2-h glucose concentration. Vigorous activity time had a borderline significant association with 2-h glucose concentration (−0.819 mmol ⋅ L−1 ⋅ h−1 ⋅ day−1 [−1.672 to 0.034]) in the multivariate model.CONCLUSIONSThese data highlight an important relationship between sitting time and 2-h glucose levels in U.K. South Asians, independent of physical activity and waist circumference. Although the data are cross-sectional and thus do not permit firm conclusions about causality to be drawn, the results suggest that further study investigating the effects of sitting time on glycemia and other aspects of metabolic risk in South Asian populations is warranted.

Non-pharmacological interventions to reduce the risk of diabetes in people with impaired glucose regulation: a systematic review and economic evaluation.

“…Some findings have been published. Gill et al (2011) 383 reported that there was an association between time spent sitting and the 2-hour PG, but not with fasting PG, among all people who were screened for possible inclusions. Douglas et al (2011) 384 reported on the difficulties of recruitment of this group through the usual channels such as GPs and diabetes registers, but noted that there was much greater success using community associations and encouraging recruits to bring in others ('snowballing').…”

“…The Prevention of Diabetes and Obesity in South Asians (PODOSA) study 383,384 has screened 1300 people of Indian and Pakistani origin for hyperglycaemia, and has recruited 170 at high risk to an intervention study of healthy eating and increasing physical activity. It is due to report in 2013 (see progress at www.podosa.org/progress.html).…”

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Discussion of Challenges in Engaging Urdu/Punjabi Speak People with Type 2 Diabetes in Structured Group Patient Education Using Interpretation and Established Educational Tools in Two Health Boards in Scotland

“…The expertise of the group indicated that recruiting participants by telephone had been successful for other health related research with South Asians [26]. However, in our project, this consumed a lot of time due to poor recording of ethnicity and language.…”