Rapidly increasing diabetes-related mortality with socio-environmental changes in South Korea during the last two decades.
Diabetes mellitus is the result of complex interactions involving many genes and environmental factors, and rapid socio-environmental changes have been strongly associated with the development of diabetes. In this study, we examined the trends in diabetes mortality and associated socio-environmental changes that have occurred in South Korea over the last 20 years. Data from a national database and government reports for the years from 1983 to 2001 were analyzed. The data included mortality, socio-economic changes, physical activity and dietary pattern indicators. Deaths from diabetes per 100,000 people increased from 5.3 in 1983 to 18.4 in 2001. Along with increasing diabetes-related mortality, many socio-economic indices (gross domestic production, proportion of tertiary industry and urbanization rate), proxies for physical activity (numbers of cars and time spent watching television) and diet indices (animal protein intake and fat intake) showed remarkable changes. To counter increasing prevalence of diabetes and its related mortality in South Korea, multidirectional efforts including lifestyle modification should be mandatory features of future public health policy.
Choi
Young Ju
YJ
Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 28 Yongon-dong Chongno-gu, Seoul 110-744, Republic of Korea.
Cho
Young Min
YM
Park
Chul Ku
CK
Jang
Hak Chul
HC
Park
Kyong Soo
KS
Kim
Seong Yeon
SY
Lee
Hong Kyu
HK
D000375:Aging; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000401:mortality*; D004777:Environment; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D009043:Motor Activity; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology