141st APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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288277
Title:Possible role of air pollution in development and severity of type-2 diabetes


Tuesday, November 5, 2013 : 3:32 p.m. - 3:50 p.m.

Ying-Ying Meng, Dr Ph, Center for Health Policy Research, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Susan H. Babey, PhD, Center for Health Policy Research, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Melissa C. Pickett, MPH, Center for Health Policy Research, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Joelle Wolstein, MPP, Center for Health Policy Research, Fielding School of Public Health, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
Diabetes prevalence has nearly quadrupled from 5.6 million affected in 1980 to 20.9 million in 2010. Type-2 diabetes is caused and exacerbated by a complex interaction of genetic, behavioral and environmental factors. Emerging research suggests increased air pollution exposure may promote insulin resistance and type-2 diabetes. This study examines whether prevalence and severity of type-2 diabetes are associated with increased criteria pollutant exposures.

Using Geographic Information System software and 2005 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) data, adults' residential addresses were linked to government monitors for NO2, O3, PM10 and PM2.5. Individual 3-year average exposures were estimated. Logistic regression analyses evaluated associations between pollutant exposures and increased odds of type-2 diabetes diagnosis, as well as increased odds of taking medication (specifically pills, insulin, or both) to treat type-2 diabetes, controlling for age, sex, race, and poverty level.

Among CHIS 2005 respondents, 3% and 8% increased odds of type-2 diabetes diagnosis were suggested with increases in PM10 and NO2, respectively. Among adults with type-2 diabetes, increased O3, PM10, and PM2.5 were associated with increased odds of taking any medication (40%, 56%, and 50%, respectively), and specifically pills only (33%, 31%, and 41%, respectively), insulin only (43%, 53%, and 46%, respectively), and insulin and pills (70%, 60%, and 88%, respectively).

Criteria pollutant exposures are potentially related to type-2 diabetes prevalence and severity. Modest effects of air pollution on diabetes risk will have widespread impact due to high incidence and ubiquity of exposure. Understanding this relationship provides novel information regarding modifiable environmental risk factors contributing to this growing epidemic.

Learning Areas:

Chronic disease management and prevention
Environmental health sciences
Epidemiology
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
Evaluate if air pollution exposure is associated with development and severity of type-2 diabetes; Describe how to link survey respondents’ residential addresses to government monitoring data; Discuss study findings and implications for interventions

Keyword(s): Air Pollutants, Diabetes

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have participated as a member of the research team and as study coordinator for multiple federal- or state-funded studies focusing on chronic disease outcomes, such as diabetes and asthma, investigating how these outcomes may be associated with increases in air pollution exposure.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4307.0: Epidemiology of Diabetes