title: Country of birth-specific and gender differences in prevalence of diabetes in Sweden.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim was to investigate country or region of birth-specific prevalence and gender differences of diabetes in residents in Sweden, using Swedish-born men and women as referent.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Apolipoprotein MOrtality RISk (AMORIS) cohort was used (184,000 men and 151,453 women) aged between 20 and 80 years, with data from the CALAB laboratory, Stockholm, 1985-1996. Diabetes was defined as fasting glucose ≥ 7.0 mmol/L or a hospital diagnosis of diabetes. Country of birth was obtained by linkage to Swedish Censuses 1970-1990. Standardized prevalence rate ratios (SPRR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five groups of women and one group of men had a significantly higher prevalence than Swedish-born (based on SPRR): women born in Iraq (6.0 (95% CI 1.3-28.9)), North Africa (6.9 (95% CI 3.1-15.3)), South Asia (3.1 (95% CI 1.0-10.0)), Syria (5.3 (95% CI 1.8-16.0)), Turkey (3.7 (95% CI 1.2-10.9)) and men born in other Middle Eastern countries (2.3 (95% CI 1.0-5.5)). Swedish-born men had a higher age-standardized prevalence of diabetes (3.9%) than Swedish born women (2.5%). A higher prevalence among men was also seen in other Western countries. In contrast, a higher age-standardized prevalence among women was observed in immigrants from Turkey (8.9% vs. 3.1%, p<0.001), Syria (13.1% vs. 4.0%, p=0.002), and North Africa (16.8% vs. 6.6%, p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Female immigrants to Sweden from Iraq, North Africa, South Asia, Syria, and Turkey have an increased prevalence of diabetes of substantial public health concern.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Family Medicine, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden. axelcefam@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Axel C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Carlsson
authors.forename: Per E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Wändell
authors.forename: Ebba
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hedlund
authors.forename: Göran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Walldius
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nordqvist
authors.forename: Ingmar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jungner
authors.forename: Niklas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hammar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult