Risk factors for type 2 diabetes in postmenopausal New Zealand women: a cross-sectional study.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the diabetes risk profile of 3377 postmenopausal New Zealand women.


METHODS
Participants took part in a face-to-face interview with a research nurse. Medical history, lifestyle information, height, weight, and random capillary blood glucose were recorded. Risk scores for type 2 diabetes were later calculated for each participant using a modified diabetes 'risk analysis' tool developed by the United States Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP).


RESULTS
157 women had diagnosed diabetes (4.4%) and were not therefore included in the risk analysis. Over half of the women (1843 of 3377) were at 'high risk' for the development of type 2 diabetes when assessed using the DPP diabetes risk analysis tool; 38.6% of participants were overweight, 25.6% were obese, 32.5% were physically inactive, 16.9% had a family history of diabetes, and 6.5% had random capillary blood glucose recordings of 7.5 mmol/L or greater.


CONCLUSIONS
Risk factors for type 2 diabetes are prevalent in this group of postmenopausal New Zealand women. To appropriately target lifestyle modification programmes, these findings (in conjunction with recent evidence that lifestyle modification can reduce diabetes onset) highlight an urgent need to identify those women with risk factors before they develop type 2 diabetes.
Rose
Sally
S
Department of General Practice, Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago, Wellington South, New Zealand. srose@wnmeds.ac.nz
Lawton
Beverley
B
Dowell
Anthony
A
Fenton
Anna
A
D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D017698:Postmenopause; D012307:Risk Factors
D001786:Blood Glucose