Purpose: Diabetes mellitus (DM) significantly impacts public health by increasing mortality and reducing quality of life. Early diagnosis is crucial yet challenging due to the asymptomatic nature of early-stage DM. Obesity, a modifiable risk factor, is strongly linked to the prevalence of DM. This study aims to identify which obesity indices most accurately predict DM among middle-aged and elderly adults to enhance early screening and intervention strategies.
Methods: This community-based cross-sectional study included 396 middle-aged and elderly adults from northern Taiwan, assessed from January to October 2014. We evaluated three obesity indices—Body Mass Index (BMI), body fat percentage (BF%), and waist circumference (WC)—and their correlation with DM using multiple logistic regression models adjusting for various demographic and clinical variables.
Results: Our study included 396 community-dwelling middle-aged and elderly adults with a mean age of 64.44±8.46. There are 79 (19.9%) participants with DM. DM people had a higher BMI (p=0.03) and higher BF% (p=0.35) but without statistical significance and higher WC (p=0.001). Multiple logistic regression adjusted for age and other factors related to DM risk showed that WC still had a significantly increased risk for DM (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.02-1.10, p=0.0038) in women.
Conclusion: Obesity indices were associated with DM. WC is the most effective obesity index for predicting DM among middle-aged and elderly adults, suggesting that it should be included in routine health assessments to better identify high-risk individuals.