Objective: The association between parity and type 2 diabetes has been studied in developed countries and in Singapore and Chinese women but not in Hispanics. Herein we evaluated the association between parity (number of live births) with diabetes in a group of Hispanic postmenopausal women from Colombia.
Research design and methods: Herein we evaluated the association between parity and diabetes in a population of 1,795 women from Colombia. Women were divided in birth categories (0 [referent], 1 or 2, 3-5, 6 or > births). Medical history of diabetes and anthropometric characteristics were recorded. Logistic regressions were performed in order to find the association between parity and diabetes in bivariable and multivariable models after controlling for age, body mass index (BMI), waist hip ratio (WHR) and diabetes family history, among other variables.
Results: In our study, there was an association between parity and diabetes after adjusting for age, BMI and diabetes family history in the multiparous women groups when compared to the women with no births (Referent group) [1-2 births vs. referent OR 5.2 (95 CI 1.2-22.9), 3-5 births vs. referent OR 5.5 (1.3-23.0) and ≥6 births vs. referent OR 7.5 (1.8-31.8), respectively]. The association was maintained in two of the groups in the multivariable analysis [OR 5.0 (1.1-22.9) and 5.3 (1.2-23.5)], for 1 or 2 births and 6 or > births versus 0 births, respectively. Positive diabetes family history and WHR were also associated with an increased risk of diabetes [OR 4.6 (3.0-7.0) and 4.1 (2.0-8.1), respectively].
Conclusions: In postmenopausal Hispanic women, multiparity, as well as a positive family history of diabetes and a high waist-hip ratio were associated with higher diabetes risk.
Keywords: Hispanic women; Parity; Type 2 diabetes.