title: Effects of age, time period, and birth cohort on the prevalence of diabetes and obesity in Korean men.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined changes in the prevalence of diabetes, obesity, and overweight in 412,881 Korean men in birth cohorts from 1933 to 1972 over 8 years from 1992 to 2000 and separately analyzed the effects of age, time period, and birth cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included male employees of Korean government organizations and schools who were between 20 and 59 years of age in 1992. Diabetes was diagnosed on the basis of self-reports in 1992 or fasting blood glucose levels (>or=126 mg/ml, 7.0 mmol/l). The age-period-cohort model was used to estimate the effects of age, time period, and birth cohort.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In Korean male birth cohorts from 1933 to 1972, the age-specific prevalence of diabetes, obesity, and overweight in men aged 28-59 years increased annually by 0.41% (3.03 to 6.29%), 0.18% (0.70 to 2.16%), and 1.49% (23.48 to 35.41%), respectively, from 1992 to 2000. The relative change in diabetes was largest among the younger cohorts (>400% increase over 8 years) and corresponded to the change in obesity. Apart from the contribution of age, clear cohort and period effects were evident for diabetes, although the magnitude of the effect was slightly less than that for obesity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prevention of diabetes through the control of obesity, particularly in young men, clearly needs to be emphasized.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Institute of Health and Environment, Seoul National University, Chogno-gu Yeongun-dong 28, Seoul 110-460, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jin-Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Yun-mi
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Hye soon
authors.initials: Hs
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Joohon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: Ho
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sung-il
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose