Screening for diabetes among Roma people living in Serbia.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence of diabetes in the Roma population in Serbia.


METHODS
We screened 11 urban and 8 rural Roma communities from October 2006 to May 2008 for the presence of diabetes. Blood glucose values, name, age, sex, presence of diabetes, family history, and obesity were recorded.


RESULTS
We analyzed the data from 1465 Roma people, 953 women and 512 men (785 in urban and 680 in rural communities), with mean age of 42.42-/+15.69 years. Abdominal obesity was present in 600 (41%) participants. Eighty seven participants (5.9%) already had diabetes and there were 76 (5.2%) newly discovered cases of diabetes type 2. Participants with diabetes were significantly older (F=28.33; P<0.01). Family history for diabetes was positive in a third of participants. The risk for diabetes was 3.48 times higher in participants with positive family history (odds ratio [OR], 3.47; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.37-5.1; P<0.01). Abdominal obesity was less frequent in healthy participants than in participants with diabetes (Chi(2)=32.55; P<0.01). The risk of diabetes in participants with abdominal obesity was 2 times higher than in the non-obese (OR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.24-3.55; P<0.01). Diabetes was significantly more present in urban communities (Chi(2)=25.20; P<0.01). The risk of developing diabetes was 3.65 times higher in participants from urban settlements (OR, 3.64; 95% CI, 1.99-6.66; P<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Prevalence of diabetes in the Roma people living in Serbia may possibly be higher than in the general population of Serbia and needs further investigation.
Beljić Zivković
Teodora
T
Zvezdara University Medical Center, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders, Dimitrija Tucovica 161, 11000 Beograd, Serbia. dorabeljic@beotel.net
Marjanović
Milica
M
Prgomelja
Stela
S
Soldatovic
Ivan
I
Koprivica
Branka
B
Acković
Dragoljub
D
Zivković
Rodoljub
R
D000328:Adult; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D006178:Romani People; D012424:Rural Population; D055771:Serbia / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population
Circulation. 2007 Dec 18;116(25):2933-43
18071080
BMJ. 2002 Mar 30;324(7340):755
11923154
Diabetes Care. 1997 Jul;20(7):1183-97
9203460
Croat Med J. 2007 Oct;48(5):720-6
17948958
Soc Sci Med. 2001 Nov;53(9):1191-204
11556609
Diabet Med. 2007 May;24(5):451-63
17470191
Hormones (Athens). 2003 Jan-Mar;2(1):49-54
17003002
Postgrad Med J. 2006 Apr;82(966):280-4
16597817
BMC Med Genet. 2001;2:5
11299048
Am J Phys Anthropol. 1983 Sep;62(1):107-14
6624895
J Am Coll Cardiol. 2008 Aug 19;52(8):616-9
18702963
Eur J Public Health. 2006 Aug;16(4):388-93
16641158
Cent Eur J Public Health. 2000 Aug;8(3):141-9
10965436
Lancet. 2006 May 27;367(9524):1707-8
16731250
J Epidemiol Community Health. 2000 Nov;54(11):864-9
11027202
Bratisl Lek Listy. 2007;108(4-5):207-11
17694806
Circulation. 2008 Apr 1;117(13):1658-67
18362231
Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2003 Nov;62(2):95-103
14581146