Prevalence and determinants of type 2 diabetes among Filipino-Americans in the Houston, Texas metropolitan statistical area.
OBJECTIVE
The few available studies suggest that Filipino-Americans have an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of previously diagnosed type 2 diabetes and its major risk factors among Filipino-Americans.


METHODS
A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the Houston, Texas, metropolitan statistical area between September 1998 and March 2000. The convenience sample included 831 Filipino-American participants aged 20-74 years. The major risk factors assessed were age, sex, family history of diabetes, socioeconomic status, obesity (BMI >30), physical inactivity, acculturation, region of birth and, in women, history of gestational diabetes and delivery of a baby weighing > 9 lb.


RESULTS
Overall prevalence was estimated to be 16.1% (95% CI 13.5-18.7). Multivariate logistic regression analyses identified independent risk factors: increasing age from ages 35-44 years (odds ratio [OR] 5.6, 95% CI 1.5-20.5) to 65-74 years (34.2, 7.2-163.0); male sex (1.8, 1.1-32.1); family history of diabetes (4.7, 2.6-8.5); obesity (3.6, 1.4-9.0); region of birth, Mindanao (3.2, 1.3-7.7); and, among women, gestational diabetes (21.7, 6.7-69.7) and low income (5.3, 1.4-20.2).


CONCLUSIONS
The study observed a high prevalence of type 2 diabetes and supports earlier studies suggesting that Filipinos are at higher risk for type 2 diabetes than the U.S. non-Hispanic white population.
Cuasay
L C
LC
School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, USA. luceli.cuasay@usoncology.com
Lee
E S
ES
Orlander
P P
PP
Steffen-Batey
L
L
Hanis
C L
CL
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001724:Birth Weight; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010679:Philippines / Q000208:ethnology; D011203:Poverty; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012923:Social Class; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology