title: Foreign- and Swedish-born diabetic patients--a population-based study of prevalence, glycaemic control and social position.
abstract: In this study foreign- and Swedish-born individuals with diabetes mellitus were compared regarding prevalence and characteristics. In a Swedish county 1,568 patients aged 20-64 years were identified, of whom 97.4% were included (143 foreign- and 1,384 Swedish-born) in the study of medical records. There was no difference in prevalence of diabetes (1.4% (95% CI 1.2-1.7%) vs 1.5% (95% CI 1.4-1.6%) but diagnosis at or after the age of 30 years was more common in foreign-born patients (p < 0.001). They were also less often treated with insulin (p < 0.001), had shorter duration of diabetes (p < 0.001), were more often classified as having a low social position in Sweden (p < 0.001) and less often controlled in specialized diabetes care departments (p < 0.001, 18% vs 43%). There was a higher occurrence of albuminuria among foreign-born women (p < 0.05). No differences were found in glycaemic control, but low social position was related to poor glycaemic control independent of being foreign- or Swedish-born, and it seems to be more important than place of birth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Sciences Dalby/Lund, University of Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hjelm
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Isacsson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Apelqvist
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sundquist
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nyberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose