title: Adolescent prediabetes in a high-risk Middle East country: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the prevalence of prediabetes in adolescents living in a high-risk country and to detect risk factors associated with this disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  Survey questionnaire combined with physical measurements and blood sugar determination.
  
  
  METHODS
  Doha, capital city of Qatar.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1694 male and female students aged 11-18 years without previously diagnosed diabetes enrolled in four schools.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood sugar measurements. Other measured variables included gender, height, weight, abdominal circumference, country of origin, family history of diabetes and frequency of exercise.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using a random blood sugar ≥7.8 mmol/L or a fasting blood sugar ≥5.5 mmol/L as cutpoints, we identified 4.2% of students (56 boys, 15 girls) as probable prediabetics. In a multivariate model, being boys (OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.7-6.2), having a diabetic parent (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.1-3.2) or having a waist-to-height ratio >0.5 (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1-3.0) were significantly associated with being a prediabetic. The parental origin of diabetes had a differential effect upon blood sugar. The mean random blood sugar in students with a maternal inheritance pattern of diabetes was 5.61 mmol/L ± 1.0, compared to 5.39 mmol/L ± 0.89 in students with a paternal inheritance pattern (p = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In a country with a high risk of adult diabetes, we identified 4.2% of students aged 11-18 as being prediabetic. Risk factors associated with prediabetes included male gender, family history of diabetes and waist-to-height ratio >0.5.
authors.affiliation: Department of Global and Public Health, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Qatar Foundation - Education City, Doha 24144, Qatar.
authors.forename: Ravinder
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mamtani
authors.affiliation: New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA.
authors.forename: Albert B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Lowenfels
authors.affiliation: Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Qatar Foundation - Education City, Doha 24144, Qatar.
authors.forename: Javaid
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sheikh
authors.affiliation: Department of Global and Public Health, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Qatar Foundation - Education City, Doha 24144, Qatar.
authors.forename: Sohaila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cheema
authors.affiliation: Qatar Diabetes Association, Doha 00752, Qatar.
authors.forename: Abdulla
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Hamaq
authors.affiliation: Qatar Diabetes Association, Doha 00752, Qatar.
authors.forename: Sharoud A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Matthis
authors.affiliation: Qatar Diabetes Association, Doha 00752, Qatar.
authors.forename: Katie G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: El-Nahas
authors.affiliation: European Institute of Oncology, Via ramusio 1, 20141 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maisonneuve
keywords: Middle East; body mass index; diabetes; epidemiology; exercise; obesity; paediatrics; prediabetes; risk factors