title: Prevalence of type 2 diabetes and its association with measures of body composition among African residents in the Netherlands--The HELIUS study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare type 2 diabetes prevalence among three ethnic groups resident in the Netherlands: Ghanaians, African Surinamese and Dutch origin. Secondly, to determine the contribution of measures of body composition to ethnic differences in type 2 diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Baseline data from Ghanaian (n=1873), African Surinamese (n=2189) and Dutch (n=2151) origin participants of the HELIUS study (aged 18-70 years) were analyzed. Type 2 diabetes was determined according to the WHO criteria. Logistic regression tested ethnic differences in type 2 diabetes and the contribution of body fat percentage and waist-to-hip ratio.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among men, type 2 diabetes prevalence was higher in Ghanaians (14.9%) than in African Surinamese (10.4%) and Dutch (5.0%). Among women, type 2 diabetes prevalence in Ghanaian (11.1%) was higher than in Dutch (2.3%), but similar to African Surinamese (11.5%). After adjusting for age, body fat percentage and waist-to-hip ratio, the odds ratios for having type 2 diabetes were 1.55 (95% CI: 1.12-2.15) for Ghanaian men compared with African Surinamese and 4.19 (95% CI: 2.86-6.12) compared with Dutch. Among women these odds ratios were 0.94 (95% CI: 0.70-1.26) and 4.78 (95% CI: 2.82-8.11).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes among Ghanaian compared with African Surinamese men suggests a need to distinguish between African descent populations when assessing their type 2 diabetes risk. The higher odds for type 2 diabetes among Ghanaians cannot be attributed to differences in body composition. Further research on the contribution of lifestyle factors as well as genetic and epigenetic factors is needed to identify the reasons for the observed disparities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: k.a.meeks@amc.uva.nl.
authors.forename: Karlijn A C
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Meeks
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: k.stronks@amc.uva.nl.
authors.forename: Karien
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stronks
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: e.j.beune@amc.uva.nl.
authors.forename: Erik J A J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Beune
authors.affiliation: Center for Research on Genomics and Global Health, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, 12 South Drive, MSC 5635, Bethesda, MD, United States. Electronic address: adeyemoa@mail.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Adebowale
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Adeyemo
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Genetics, Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: p.henneman@amc.uva.nl.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Henneman
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Genetics, Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: m.a.mannens@amc.uva.nl.
authors.forename: Marcel M A M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Mannens
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: m.nicolaou@amc.uva.nl.
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nicolaou
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: r.j.peters@amc.uva.nl.
authors.forename: Ron J G
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.affiliation: Center for Research on Genomics and Global Health, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, 12 South Drive, MSC 5635, Bethesda, MD, United States. Electronic address: rotimic@mail.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Charles N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Rotimi
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: m.b.snijder@amc.uva.nl.
authors.forename: Marieke B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Snijder
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Center/University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: c.o.agyemang@amc.uva.nl.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Agyemang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044383:Black People; D001823:Body Composition; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000208:ethnology*; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D005869:Ghana / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence
keywords: Africans; Body fat; Body fat distribution; Type 2 diabetes