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Review
. 2020 Mar 12;20(Suppl 1):134.
doi: 10.1186/s12902-019-0463-3.

Sociodemographic and lifestyle-related risk factors for identifying vulnerable groups for type 2 diabetes: a narrative review with emphasis on data from Europe

Ioannis Kyrou  1   2   3   4 , Constantine Tsigos  5 , Christina Mavrogianni  5 , Greet Cardon  6 , Vicky Van Stappen  6 , Julie Latomme  6 , Jemina Kivelä  7 , Katja Wikström  7 , Kaloyan Tsochev  8 , Anna Nanasi  9 , Csilla Semanova  9 , Rocío Mateo-Gallego  10   11 , Itziar Lamiquiz-Moneo  10 , George Dafoulas  12 , Patrick Timpel  13 , Peter E H Schwarz  13   14   15 , Violeta Iotova  8 , Tsvetalina Tankova  16 , Konstantinos Makrilakis  12 , Yannis Manios  5 ; Feel4Diabetes-study Group
Collaborators, Affiliations
Review

Sociodemographic and lifestyle-related risk factors for identifying vulnerable groups for type 2 diabetes: a narrative review with emphasis on data from Europe

Ioannis Kyrou et al. BMC Endocr Disord. .

Abstract

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) comprises the vast majority of all diabetes cases in adults, with alarmingly increasing prevalence over the past few decades worldwide. A particularly heavy healthcare burden of diabetes is noted in Europe, where 8.8% of the population aged 20-79 years is estimated to have diabetes according to the International Diabetes Federation. Multiple risk factors are implicated in the pathogenesis of T2DM with complex underlying interplay and intricate gene-environment interactions. Thus, intense research has been focused on studying the role of T2DM risk factors and on identifying vulnerable groups for T2DM in the general population which can then be targeted for prevention interventions.

Methods: For this narrative review, we conducted a comprehensive search of the existing literature on T2DM risk factors, focusing on studies in adult cohorts from European countries which were published in English after January 2000.

Results: Multiple lifestyle-related and sociodemographic factors were identified as related to high T2DM risk, including age, ethnicity, family history, low socioeconomic status, obesity, metabolic syndrome and each of its components, as well as certain unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. As Europe has an increasingly aging population, multiple migrant and ethnic minority groups and significant socioeconomic diversity both within and across different countries, this review focuses not only on modifiable T2DM risk factors, but also on the impact of pertinent demographic and socioeconomic factors.

Conclusion: In addition to other T2DM risk factors, low socioeconomic status can significantly increase the risk for prediabetes and T2DM, but is often overlooked. In multinational and multicultural regions such as Europe, a holistic approach, which will take into account both traditional and socioeconomic/socioecological factors, is becoming increasingly crucial in order to implement multidimensional public health programs and integrated community-based interventions for effective T2DM prevention.

Keywords: Diet; Ethnicity; Lifestyle; Obesity; Risk factors; Socioeconomic status; Type 2 diabetes.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the context of a broader collaborative effort which mobilizes multiple partners/stakeholders at a national and international (e.g. European) level (adapted from Lindström et al. 2010 [53])
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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