Increased rate of hospitalization for diabetes and residential proximity of hazardous waste sites

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Maria A. Kouznetsova, MPH¹, Xiaoyu Huang, MS², Lawrence Lessner, PhD², and David O. Carpenter, MD³. (1) Institute for Health and the Environment, University at Albany, SUNY, School of Public Health, 5 University Place, Room A217, Rensselaer, NY 12144-3429, (518) 426-2912, maria_kuznetsova@yahoo.com, (2) Department of Biometry and Statistics, University at Albany, SUNY, School of Public Health, One University Place, Room 127, Rensselaer, NY 12144-3456, (3) Institute for Health and the Environment, University at Albany, SUNY, 5 University Place, Room A217, Rensselaer, NY 12144-3429

Objective: Recent epidemiological studies suggest that there may be an association between environmental exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and diabetes. The aim of this study was to determine whether residential proximity to POPs-contaminated waste sites influenced rates of hospitalization for diabetes.

Research Design and Methods: We determined the number of hospitalized patients 25 to 74 years of age diagnosed with diabetes in upstate New York from the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) for the years 1993-2000. Descriptive statistics and negative binomial regression were used to compare diabetes hospitalization rates in individuals who resided in: 1) zip code groups containing or abutting hazardous waste sites with POPs (“POPs” sites); 2) zip codes containing hazardous waste sites but with wastes other than POPs (“other waste” sites); and 3) zip codes without any hazardous waste sites (“clean” sites).

Results: Compared with the hospitalization rates for diabetes in “clean” sites, the rate ratio for diabetes discharges for people residing in “POP” sites and “other waste” sites, after adjustment for potential confounders was 1.19 [1.09, 1.31] and 1.16 [1.05, 1.27], respectively. In a subset of “POPs” sites where there is higher income, less smoking, better diet and more exercise the rate ratio was 1.32 [1.21-1.45] as compared to “clean” sites.

Conclusions: These data indicate a statistically significant increase in the rate of hospitalization for diabetes after controlling for major potential confounders among the adult population residing in the zip codes containing toxic waste sites.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

1. Improve the understanding of the environmental exposures and translate this knowledge into further effective disease prevention strategies;
2. List established risk factors and potential confounders in the suggested association between diabetes and environmental exposure to POPs;
3. Understand the research design and methods used to compare diabetes hospitalization rates in individuals resided in the areas of interest.

Keywords: Diabetes, Pesticides

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered

Chronic Disease Epidemiology Poster Session

The 134th Annual Meeting & Exposition (November 4-8, 2006) of APHA