Mapping diabetes prevalence among women in India

A new study of diabetes prevalence in middle-aged women in India finds that 254 of the country’s 640 districts have a very high (greater than 10%) level of the disease and 130 have a moderately high level (8.7­–10.6%). Rates were highest among women in southern and eastern India and lowest in the center of the country. Obesity, hypertension, and living in an urban area were associated with greater risk of diabetes.

The study was published online in the May 2020 issue of the Journal of Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders. Senior author S V Subramanian, professor of population health and geography, used data from India’s National Family Health Survey.

Read coverage in The Hindu: Prevalence of diabetes among women high in southern India