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Table 1 Comparisons in cardiometabolic characteristics in women and men born in Iraq and Sweden participating in the MEDIM study 2010 to 2012

From: BMI and waist circumference cut-offs for corresponding levels of insulin sensitivity in a Middle Eastern immigrant versus a native Swedish population – the MEDIM population based study

Variable

Swedish women

Iraqi women

P

Swedish men

Iraqi men

P

N = 326

N = 493

N = 362

N = 683

Age (years)

49.7 (11.1)

44.3 (8.9)

<0.001

48.9 (11.1)

46.0 (9.5)

<0.001

Body mass index, (kg/m2)

26.8 (5.1)

29.4 (4.8)

<0.001

27.2 (3.9)

28.8 (4.0)

<0.001

Waist circumference (cm)

88.4 (13.7)

92.0 (10.4)

0.001

97.1 (11.2)

98.4 (10.3)

0.034

Height (cm)

165.9 (7.0)

158.7 (6.1)

<0.001

179.2 (6.8)

172.8 (6.5)

<0.001

Waist to hip ratio

0.84 (0.1)

0.86 (0.06)

<0.001

0.93 (0.1)

0.94 (0.05)

0.270

Waist to height ratio

0.54 (0.08)

0.58 (0.06)

<0.001

0.54 (0.06)

0.57 (0.06)

<0.001

Obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2)

71 (21.8)

183 (37.1)

<0.001

77 (21.3)

228 (33.4)

<0.001

Abdominal obesity (waist men ≥ 94 cm; women ≥ 80 cm)

234 (71.8)

433 (87.8)

<0.001

222 (61.3)

460 (67.3)

0.064

Fasting glucose (mmol/L)

5.5 (0.6)

5.6 (0.7)

0.037

5.7 (1.1)

5.6 (0.8)

0.131

Mean glucose 0, 30, 60, 120 min (mmol/L)

6.8 (1.4)

7.0 (1.4)

0.013

7.0 (1.9)

7.3 (1.9)

0.005

Glucose 120 min (mmol/L)

5.9 (1.8)

6.1 (1.7)

0.108

5.6 (1.8)

5.7 (2.1)

0.406

Fasting insulin (mIE/L)

8.0 (5.0)

10.6 (6.9)

<0.001

10.5 (8.5)

12.15 (7.6)

0.001

Mean insulin 0, 30, 60, 120 min (mIE/L)

38.1 (23.9)

50.8 (32.6)

<0.001

47.5 (38.7)

62.6 (39.7)

<0.001

Serum insulin 120 min (mIE/L)

38.8 (30.6)

52.4 (49.3)

<0.001

49.8 (68.4)

61.5 (61.3)

0.005

C-peptide (nmol/l)

0.7 (0.3)

0.8 (0.3)

<0.001

0.7 (0.4)

0.9 (0.3)

0.001

Total cholesterol (mmol/L)c

5.3 (1.0)

4.8 (0.9)

<0.001

5.3 (1.1)

5.1 (0.9)

<0.001

p-LDL (mmol/L)c

3.3 (0.8)

3.1 (0.8)

0.001

3.4 (1.0)

3.4 (0.8)

0.305

p-HDL (mmol/L)c

1.6 (0.4)

1.3 (0.4)

<0.001

1.3 (0.4)

1.1 (0.3)

<0.001

p-TG (mmol/L)c

1.1 (0.5)

1.3 (0.7)

<0.001

1.4 (1.0)

1.7 (1.1)

<0.001

Insulin Sensitivity Indexa

111.4 (80.6–168.9)

90.5 (57.2–131.2)

<0.001

90.1 (58.4–145. 2)

70.1 (47.3–104.0)

<0.001

Disposition Index a,b

15232.4 (8910.1–26758.1)

13277.1 (7436.3–24268.0)

0.111

13495.8 (7741.0–22764.5))

12324.9 (6721.3–22514.4)

0.114

First-degree family history of diabetes, n (%)

91 (29.8)

263 (53.5)

0.001

87 (24.3)

325 (47.2)

0.001

Hours physically active/week

4.1 (2.5)

1.7 (2.0)

<0.001

4.1 (2.4)

2.0 (2.2)

<0.001

Smokers, n (%)

79 (25.9)

57 (11.6)

<0.001

91 (25.4)

227 (33.0)

0.010

Alcohol consumers, n (%)

232 (76.1)

24 (4.9)

<0.001

309 (86.3)

190 (27.6)

<0.001

Education level ≤ HS, n (%)

53 (17.4)

161 (32.7)

<0.001

70 (19.6)

158 (23.0)

0.173

Economic difficulties ≥ once in the last 12 months, n (%)

50 (16.4)

227 (46.1)

<0.001

53 (14.8)

377 (54.8)

<0.001

Time since migration, years

 

16 (11–21)

−

 

17 (12–24)

−

  1. Data is presented in means (standard deviation, SD), numbers (percentages) or for non-normally distributed data medians (interquartile range, IQR). Differences in means between groups were adjusted for age using linear regression models (for continuous variables) while differences in proportions between groups (but for male gender and family history of diabetes) were studied using logistic regression adjusting for age.
  2. All tests were two-sided and a p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant
  3. aData presented as IQR
  4. bDisposition only included cases where the glucose level at 30 min was >4.44 mmol/l and greater than the fasting glucose level [33]
  5. cDifferences adjusted for treatment with medication lowering cholesterol levels (i.e. statins or similar medication)
  6. Abbreviations: Econ diff. Economic difficulties, DI disposition index, HDL high density lipoprotein, Hs-CRP high sensitive C-reactive protein, HS high school, IQR interquartile range, ISI insulin sensitivity index, LDL low density lipoprotein, SD standard deviation, TG triglycerides
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BMC Public Health

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