According to a new study, environmental factors such as air, water and soil quality, but also median income and level of education, are more likely to predispose rural populations to type 2 diabetes.
Characterized by an abnormally high and chronic level of sugar in the blood, type 2 diabetes is caused by a lack of insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas and which naturally regulates the level of glucose in the blood. Affecting nearly 425 million people worldwide, this disease can be caused by a genetic predisposition, but also environmental factors such as tobacco, diet and overweight, as well as lack of physical exercise.
But other environmental factors may also play a role in the predisposition to type 2 diabetes. This is highlighted by a new study from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), published in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation. According to its authors, multiple environmental factors are associated with a higher risk of diabetes in rural and low-density counties than in urban counties.
A groundbreaking study on the cumulative effect of environmental factors
“This is one of the few studies to examine environmental effects on diabetes risk at the national level and to determine whether or not there is a difference between urban and rural factors,” says Dr. Jyotsna Jagai, first author and research assistant professor of environmental sciences and occupational health at UIC’s School of Public Health.
To find out, the researchers based themselves on an assessment of 3,314 American counties and developed an environmental quality index (IQE), based on various data, including air quality, water and soil, as well as socio-demographic factors: median household income, level of education, violent crime rates, etc.
According to Dr. Robert Sargis, Associate Professor of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism and co-author of the study, this “cumulative assessment of WQIs is unique in its kind”. “In most studies, we don’t consider the combination of factors. We look at single chemicals or single classes of chemicals and how they are associated with disease risk. This study brings together all of the factors that , in our view, increase risk and aggregates them into a single metric to look at the cumulative environment.”
Better target rural populations most at risk of diabetes
This cross-tabulation of data showed that in rural and sparsely populated areas of the United States, lower overall environmental quality was associated with a higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes. This risk is particularly closely associated with the quality of air, buildings and socio-demographic factors. By comparison, in urban areas, the risk of diabetes was only associated with atmospheric and socio-demographic factors.
“There may be something different going on in rural areas than in urban areas. Our results suggest that environmental exposure may be a greater factor in rural counties than in urban areas of the United States. “says Dr. Jagai. “The environment to which we are exposed is broader than pollutants alone. Our health depends on these combined effects, such as stressors, socio-demographics or built, which can impact our livelihoods.”
According to the study authors, these differences between environmental risk factors for diabetes in urban and rural populations could shed light on how the structural issues that promote the development of type 2 diabetes are addressed and how to help populations until here neglected by screening and prevention campaigns.
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