Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Social Epidemiology of Diabetes and Associated Conditions

  • Diabetes Epidemiology (SH Golden, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Diabetes Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Research focusing on the social determinants of diabetes has focused on individual-level factors such as health behaviors, socioeconomic status, and depression. Fewer studies that incorporate a broader consideration of the multiple contexts or organizational levels (eg, family, health care setting, neighborhood) within which individuals are embedded exist in the mainstream diabetes literature. Such an approach would enhance our understanding of this complex disease, and thus, future avenues of research should consider the following: (1) a life-course approach, which examines the influence of early life exposures on the development of diabetes; (2) aiming to understand the biological mechanisms of social determinants of diabetes; and (3) implementing interventions on multiple levels. Integrating this multilevel and life-course approach will require transdisciplinary science that brings together highly specialized expertise from multiple disciplines. Broadening the study of social determinants is a necessary step toward improving the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance

  1. World Health Organization. Social Determinants of Health: Key Concepts. 2013. Available at: http://www.who.int/social_determinants/thecommission/finalreport/key_concepts/en/index.html. Accessed 16 Sept 2013.

  2. Diez Roux AV. Conceptual approaches to the study of health disparities. Annual Review of Public Health. 2012;33:41–58. doi:10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031811-124534.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Diez Roux AV. A glossary for multilevel analysis. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2002;56:588–94.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Power C, Kuh D, Morton S. From developmental origins of adult disease to life course research on adult disease and aging: insights from birth cohort studies. Ann Rev Public Health. 2013;34:7–28. doi:10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031912-114423.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Diez Roux AV, Mair C. Neighborhoods and health. Ann NY Acad Sci. 2010;1186:125–45. doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.05333.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Brown AF, Ettner SL, Piette J, Weinberger M, Gregg E, Shapiro MF, et al. Socioeconomic position and health among persons with diabetes mellitus: a conceptual framework and review of the literature. Epidemiologic Rev. 2004;26:63–77. doi:10.1093/epirev/mxh002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Brown AF. Patient, system and clinician level interventions to address disparities in diabetes care. Curr Diabetes Rev. 2007;3:244–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. • Golden SH, Brown A, Cauley JA, Chin MH, Gary-Webb TL, Kim C, et al. Health disparities in endocrine disorders: biological, clinical, and nonclinical factors–an Endocrine Society scientific statement. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2012;97:E1579–639. doi:10.1210/jc.2012-2043. This article summarized the literature for health disparities in diabetes and associated conditions and attempted to understand the multiple contributors to these disparities including biological, clinical, and nonclincal influences. It also brought together a multidisciplinary team to think about these issues.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Bronfenbrenner U. In: Friedman SL, Wachs TD, editors. Measuring environment across the life span: emerging methods and conepts. Washington: American Psychological Association Press; 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  10. McLeroy KR, Bibeau D, Steckler A, Glanz K. An ecological perspective on health promotion programs. Health Educ Q. 1988;15:351–77.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Glickman D, Parker L, Sim LJ, Del Valle Cook H, Miller EA. Accelerating progress in obesity prevention: solving the weight of the nation. Institute of Medicine; 2012.

  12. Taplin SH, Anhang Price R, Edwards HM, Foster MK, Breslau ES, Chollette V, et al. Introduction: understanding and influencing multilevel factors across the cancer care continuum. J Nat Cancer Inst Monog. 2012;2012:2–10. doi:10.1093/jncimonographs/lgs008.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Glass TA, McAtee MJ. Behavioral science at the crossroads in public health: extending horizons, envisioning the future. Soc Sci Med. 2006;62:1650–71. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.08.044.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Morrissey JP, Lich KH, Price RA, Mandelblatt J. Computational modeling and multilevel cancer control interventions. J Nat Cancer Inst Monog. 2012;2012:56–66. doi:10.1093/jncimonographs/lgs014.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Jeon CY, Lokken RP, Hu FB, van Dam RM. Physical activity of moderate intensity and risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review. Diabetes Care. 2007;30:744–52. doi:10.2337/dc06-1842.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Thomas DE, Elliott EJ, Naughton GA. Exercise for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD002968.pub2. CD002968.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Hu EA, Pan A, Malik V, Sun Q. White rice consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: meta-analysis and systematic review. BMJ. 2012;344:e1454. doi:10.1136/bmj.e1454.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Pan A, Sun Q, Bernstein AM, Schulze MB, Manson JE, Willett WC, et al. Red meat consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: 3 cohorts of US adults and an updated meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutrit. 2011;94:1088–96. doi:10.3945/ajcn.111.018978.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. de Koning L, Malik VS, Rimm EB, Willett WC, Hu FB. Sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened beverage consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes in men. Am J Clin Nutrit. 2011;93:1321–7. doi:10.3945/ajcn.110.007922.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Pan A, Sun Q, Manson JE, Willett WC, Hu FB. Walnut consumption is associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes in women. J Nutrit. 2013;143:512–8. doi:10.3945/jn.112.172171.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Bhupathiraju SN, Pan A, Malik VS, Manson JE, Willett WC, van Dam RM, et al. Caffeinated and caffeine-free beverages and risk of type 2 diabetes. Am J Clin Nutrit. 2013;97:155–66. doi:10.3945/ajcn.112.048603.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Wu JH, Micha R, Imamura F, Pan A, Biggs ML, Ajaz O, et al. Omega-3 fatty acids and incident type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Nutrit. 2012;107 Suppl 2:S214–27. doi:10.1017/S0007114512001602.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Wedick NM, Pan A, Cassidy A, Rimm EB, Sampson L, Rosner B, et al. Dietary flavonoid intakes and risk of type 2 diabetes in US men and women. Am J Clin Nutrit. 2012;95:925–33. doi:10.3945/ajcn.111.028894.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Yeh HC, Duncan BB, Schmidt MI, Wang NY, Brancati FL. Smoking, smoking cessation, and risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus: a cohort study. Ann Intern Med. 2010;152:10–7. doi:10.1059/0003-4819-152-1-201001050-00005.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Willi C, Bodenmann P, Ghali WA, Faris PD, Cornuz J. Active smoking and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA. 2007;298:2654–64. doi:10.1001/jama.298.22.2654.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Dray-Spira R, Gary-Webb TL, Brancati FL. Educational disparities in mortality among adults with diabetes in the U.S. Diabetes Care. 2010;33:1200–5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Robbins JM, Vaccarino V, Zhang H, Kasl SV. Socioeconomic status and diagnosed diabetes incidence. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2005;68:230–6. doi:10.1016/j.diabres.2004.09.007.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Agardh E, Allebeck P, Hallqvist J, Moradi T, Sidorchuk A. Type 2 diabetes incidence and socio-economic position: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Epidemiol. 2011;40:804–18. doi:10.1093/ije/dyr029.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Dray-Spira R, Gary TL, Brancati FL. Socioeconomic position and cardiovascular disease in adults with and without diabetes: United States trends, 1997-2005. J Gen Intern Med. 2008;23:1634–41. doi:10.1007/s11606-008-0727-5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Maty SC, Everson-Rose SA, Haan MN, Raghunathan TE, Kaplan GA. Education, income, occupation, and the 34-year incidence (1965-99) of Type 2 diabetes in the Alameda County Study. Int J Epidemiol. 2005;34:1274–81. doi:10.1093/ije/dyi167.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Singh GK, Kogan MD, van Dyck PC. A multilevel analysis of state and regional disparities in childhood and adolescent obesity in the United States. J Community Health. 2008;33:90–102. doi:10.1007/s10900-007-9071-7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. McLaren L. Socioeconomic status and obesity. Epidemiol Rev. 2007;29:29–48. doi:10.1093/epirev/mxm001.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Crespo CJ, Ainsworth BE, Keteyian SJ, Heath GW, Smit E. Prevalence of physical inactivity and its relation to social class in U.S. adults: results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1999;31:1821–7.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Giles-Corti B, Donovan RJ. Socioeconomic status differences in recreational physical activity levels and real and perceived access to a supportive physical environment. Prev Med. 2002;35:601–11.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Bowman SA. Television-viewing characteristics of adults: correlations to eating practices and overweight and health status. Prev Chronic Dis. 2006;3:A38.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Kan C, Silva N, Golden SH, Rajala U, Timonen M, Stahl D, et al. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between depression and insulin resistance. Diabetes Care. 2013;36:480–9. doi:10.2337/dc12-1442.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Katon WJ, Rutter C, Simon G, Lin EH, Ludman E, Ciechanowski P, et al. The association of comorbid depression with mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2005;28:2668–72.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Chida Y, Hamer M. An association of adverse psychosocial factors with diabetes mellitus: a meta-analytic review of longitudinal cohort studies. Diabetologia. 2008;51:2168–78. doi:10.1007/s00125-008-1154-1.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Golden SH. A review of the evidence for a neuroendocrine link between stress, depression and diabetes mellitus. Curr Diabetes Rev. 2007;3:252–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Kiecolt-Glaser JK, McGuire L, Robles TF, Glaser R. Psychoneuroimmunology: pscyhological influences on immune function and health. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2002;70:537–47.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Miller G, Chen E, Cole SW. Health psychology: developing biologically plausible models linking the social world and physical health. Ann Rev Psychol. 2009;60:501–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Rich-Edwards JW, Spiegelman D, Lividoti Hibert EN, Jun HJ, Todd TJ, Kawachi I, et al. Abuse in childhood and adolescence as a predictor of type 2 diabetes in adult women. Am J Prev Med. 2010;39:529–36. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2010.09.007.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Mason SM, Wright RJ, Hibert EN, Spiegelman D, Jun HJ, Hu FB, et al. Intimate partner violence and incidence of type 2 diabetes in women. Diabetes Care. 2013;36:1159–65. doi:10.2337/dc12-1082.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Chambers EC, Tull ES, Fraser HS, Mutunhu NR, Sobers N, Niles E. The relationship of internalized racism to body fat distribution and insulin resistance among African adolescent youth. J Natl Med Assoc. 2004;96:1594–8.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Samuel-Hodge CD, Headen SW, Skelly AH, Ingram AF, Keyserling TC, Jackson EJ, et al. Influences on day-to-day self-management of type 2 diabetes among African-American women: spirituality, the multicaregiver role, and other social context factors. Diabetes Care. 2000;23:928–33.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Quinn MT, Cook S, Nash K, Chin MH. Addressing religion and spirituality in African Americans with diabetes. Diabetes Educ. 2001;27:643–4. 7–8, 55.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Reeves RR, Adams CE, Dubbert PM, Hickson DA, Wyatt SB. Are religiosity and spirituality associated with obesity among African Americans in the Southeastern United States (the Jackson Heart Study)? J Relig Health. 2012;51:32–48. doi:10.1007/s10943-011-9552-y.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Polzer R, Miles MS. Spirituality and self-management of diabetes in African Americans. J Holist Nurs. 2005;23:230–50. doi:10.1177/0898010105276179. discussion 51–4; quiz 26–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Berkman L, Kawachi I. Social epidemiology. Oxford University Press. New York, NY, USA; 2000.

  50. Brown AF, Karter AJ, Schillinger D. Impact of ethnic and socioeconomic factors on diabetes-related health and management. In: Venkat Narayan DW, Gregg EW, Cowie CC, editors. Diabetes public health: from data to policy. Oxford University Press. Oxford, UK; 2010.

  51. Christakis NA, Fowler JH. The spread of obesity in a large social network over 32 years. N Engl J Med. 2007;357:370–9. doi:10.1056/NEJMsa066082.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Ford ME, Tilley BC, McDonald PE. Social support among African-American adults with diabetes, Part 2: a review. J Natl Med Assoc. 1998;90:425–32.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. Shojania KG, Ranji SR, McDonald KM, Grimshaw JM, Sundaram V, Rushakoff RJ, et al. Effects of quality improvement strategies for type 2 diabetes on glycemic control: a meta-regression analysis. JAMA. 2006;296:427–40. doi:10.1001/jama.296.4.427.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  54. Pimouguet C, Le Goff M, Thiebaut R, Dartigues JF, Helmer C. Effectiveness of disease-management programs for improving diabetes care: a meta-analysis. CMAJ. 2011;183:E115–27. doi:10.1503/cmaj.091786.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  55. Hawthorne K, Robles Y, Cannings-John R, Edwards AG. Culturally appropriate health education for Type 2 diabetes in ethnic minority groups: a systematic and narrative review of randomized controlled trials. Diabetic Med. 2010;27:613–23. doi:10.1111/j.1464-5491.2010.02954.x.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  56. Chin MH, Clarke AR, Nocon RS, Casey AA, Goddu AP, Keesecker NM, et al. A roadmap and best practices for organizations to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in health care. J Gen Intern Med. 2012;27:992–1000. doi:10.1007/s11606-012-2082-9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  57. Frank LD, Andresen MA, Schmid TL. Obesity relationships with community design, physical activity, and time spent in cars. Am J Prev Med. 2004;27:87–96.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  58. Austin SB, Melly SJ, Sanchez BN, Patel A, Buka S, Gortmaker SL. Clustering of fast-food restaurants around schools: a novel application of spatial statistics to the study of food environments. Am J Public Health. 2005;95:1575–81.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  59. Lewis L, Sloane DC, Nascimento LM, et al. African American’s access to health food options in South Los Angeles restaurants. Am J Public Health. 2005;95:668–73.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  60. Sturm R, Datar A. Body mass index in elementary school children, metropolitan area food prices and food outlet density. Public Health. 2005;119:1059–68.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  61. Kipke MD, Iverson E, Moore D, Booker C, Ruelas V, Peters AL, et al. Food and park environments: neighborhood-level risks for childhood obesity in east Los Angeles. J Adolesc Health. 2007;40:325–33.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  62. Auchincloss AH, Diez Roux AV, Brown DG, O’Meara ES, Raghunathan TE. Association of insulin resistance with distance to wealthy areas: the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis. Am J Epidemiol. 2007;165:389–97.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  63. Auchincloss AH, Diez Roux AV, Brown DG, Erdmann CA, Bertoni AG. Neighborhood resources for physical activity and healthy foods and their association with insulin resistance. Epidemiology. 2008;19:146–57. doi:10.1097/EDE.0b013e31815c480.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  64. Auchincloss AH, Diez Roux AV, Mujahid MS, Shen M, Bertoni AG, Carnethon MR. Neighborhood resources for physical activity and healthy foods and incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus: the Multi-Ethnic study of Atherosclerosis. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169:1698–704. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2009.302.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  65. Elliott M. The stress process in neighborhood context. Health Place. 2000;6:287–99.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  66. Kling J, Liebman J, Klatz L. Experimental analysis of neighborhood effect. Econometrica. 2007;75:83–119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  67. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Expanding housing choices for HUD-assisted families. Washington, DC; 1996.

  68. Ludwig J, Sanbonmatsu L, Gennetian L, Adam E, Duncan GJ, Katz LF, et al. Neighborhoods, obesity, and diabetes–a randomized social experiment. N Engl J Med. 2011;365:1509–19. doi:10.1056/NEJMsa1103216.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  69. Chamany S, Silver LD, Bassett MT, Driver CR, Berger DK, Neuhaus CE, et al. Tracking diabetes: New York City’s A1C Registry. The Milbank quarterly. 2009;87:547–70. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0009.2009.00568.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  70. Berends LM, Ozanne SE. Early determinants of type-2 diabetes. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2012;26:569–80. doi:10.1016/j.beem.2012.03.002.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  71. Kavey RE, Daniels SR, Lauer RM, Atkins DL, Hayman LL, Taubert K. American Heart Association guidelines for primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease beginning in childhood. Circulation. 2003;107:1562–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  72. Association AD. Standards of Medical Care- 2013. Diabetes Care. 2013;36 Suppl 1:S11–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  73. Kelder SH, Perry CL, Klepp KI, Lytle LL. Longitudinal tracking of adolescent smoking, physical activity, and food choice behaviors. Am J Public Health. 1994;84:1121–6.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  74. Telama R. Tracking of physical activity from childhood to adulthood: a review. Obesity Facts. 2009;2:187–95. doi:10.1159/000222244.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  75. Banerjee C, Moon YP, Paik MC, Rundek T, Mora-McLaughlin C, Vieira JR, et al. Duration of diabetes and risk of ischemic stroke: the Northern Manhattan Study. Stroke. 2012;43:1212–7. doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.111.641381.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  76. • Power C, Kuh D, Morton S. From developmental origins of adult disease to life course research on adult disease and aging: insights from birth cohort studies. Annu Rev Public Health. 2013;34:7–28. doi:10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031912-114423. This article provides the conceptual frameworks guiding life course research of adult diseases, and reviews evidence on the influence of socioeconomic conditions across generations and lifecourse on adult health outcomes.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  77. Galea S, Link BG. Six paths for the future of social epidemiology. Am J Epidemiol. 2013;178:843–849.

    Google Scholar 

  78. Golden SH. A review of the evidence for a neuroendocrine link between stress, depression and diabetes mellitus. Curr Diabet Rev. 2007;3:252–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  79. Greenfield EA, Marks NF. Violence from parents in childhood and obesity in adulthood: using food in response to stress as a mediator of risk. Social Science and Medicine. 2009;68:791–8. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2008.12.004.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  80. Suglia SF, Staudenmayer J, Cohen S, Enlow MB, Rich-Edwards JW, Wright RJ. Cumulative stress and cortisol disruption among Black and Hispanic pregnant women in an urban cohort. Psychol Trauma. 2010;2:326–34. doi:10.1037/a0018953.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  81. Kuzawa CW, Sweet E. Epigenetics and the embodiment of race: developmental origins of US racial disparities in cardiovascular health. Am J Hum Biol. 2009;21:2–15. doi:10.1002/ajhb.20822.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  82. McEwen BS. Brain on stress: how the social environment gets under the skin. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012;109 Suppl 2:17180–5. doi:10.1073/pnas.1121254109.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  83. Szyf M, McGowan P, Meaney MJ. The social environment and the epigenome. Environ Mol Mutagenesis. 2008;49:46–60. doi:10.1002/em.20357.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  84. Terry MB, Delgado-Cruzata L, Vin-Raviv N, Wu HC, Santella RM. DNA methylation in white blood cells: association with risk factors in epidemiologic studies. Epigenetics. 2011;6:828–37.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  85. Waki H, Yamauchi T, Kadowaki T. The epigenome and its role in diabetes. Curr Diabet Rep. 2012;12:673–85. doi:10.1007/s11892-012-0328-x.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  86. Slomko H, Heo HJ, Einstein FH. Minireview: epigenetics of obesity and diabetes in humans. Endocrinology. 2012;153:1025–30. doi:10.1210/en.2011-1759.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  87. Heijmans BT, Tobi EW, Stein AD, Putter H, Blauw GJ, Susser ES, et al. Persistent epigenetic differences associated with prenatal exposure to famine in humans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008;105:17046–9. doi:10.1073/pnas.0806560105.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  88. Godfrey KM, Sheppard A, Gluckman PD, Lillycrop KA, Burdge GC, McLean C, et al. Epigenetic gene promoter methylation at birth is associated with child’s later adiposity. Diabetes. 2011;60:1528–34. doi:10.2337/db10-0979.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  89. Toperoff G, Aran D, Kark JD, Rosenberg M, Dubnikov T, Nissan B, et al. Genome-wide survey reveals predisposing diabetes type 2-related DNA methylation variations in human peripheral blood. Hum Molecul Genet. 2012;21:371–83. doi:10.1093/hmg/ddr472.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  90. Borghol N, Suderman M, McArdle W, Racine A, Hallett M, Pembrey M, et al. Associations with early-life socio-economic position in adult DNA methylation. Int J Epidemiol. 2012;41:62–74. doi:10.1093/ije/dyr147.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  91. • Tehranifar P, Wu HC, Fan X, Flom JD, Ferris JS, Cho YH, et al. Early life socioeconomic factors and genomic DNA methylation in mid-life. Epigenetics. 2013;8:23–7. doi:10.4161/epi.22989. This article attempts to link social factors from a lifecourse perspective to epigenetic modifications (DNA methylation).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  92. Subramanyam MA, Diez-Roux AV, Pilsner JR, Villamor E, Donohue KM, Liu Y, et al. Social factors and leukocyte DNA methylation of repetitive sequences: the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis. PloS One. 2013;8:e54018. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0054018.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  93. McGuinness D, McGlynn LM, Johnson PC, MacIntyre A, Batty GD, Burns H, et al. Socio-economic status is associated with epigenetic differences in the pSoBid cohort. Int J Epidemiol. 2012;41:151–60. doi:10.1093/ije/dyr215.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  94. Engelgau MM, Geiss LS, Saaddine JB, Boyle JP, Benjamin SM, Gregg EW, et al. The evolving diabetes burden in the United States. Ann Intern Med. 2004;140:945–50.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  95. Narayan KM, Bowman BA, Engelgau ME. Prevention of type 2 diabetes. BMJ. 2001;323:63–4.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  96. Flegal KM, Carroll MD, Kit BK, Ogden CL. Prevalence of obesity and trends in the distribution of body mass index among US adults, 1999-2010. JAMA. 2012;307:491–7. doi:10.1001/jama.2012.39.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  97. Knowler WC, Barrett-Connor E, Fowler SE, Hamman RF, Lachin JM, Walker EA, et al. Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin. N Engl J Med. 2002;346:393–403. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa012512.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  98. Knowler WC, Fowler SE, Hamman RF, Christophi CA, Hoffman HJ, et al. Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group, 10-year follow-up of diabetes incidence and weight loss in the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study. Lancet. 2009;374:1677–86. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(09)61457-4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  99. Ali MK, Echouffo-Tcheugui J, Williamson DF. How effective were lifestyle interventions in real-world settings that were modeled on the Diabetes Prevention Program? Health Affairs. 2012;31:67–75. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2011.1009.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  100. Green LW, Brancati FL, Albright A. Primary Prevention of Diabetes Working Group. Primary prevention of type 2 diabetes: integrative public health and primary care opportunities, challenges and strategies. Fam Pract. 2012;29 Suppl 1:i13–23.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  101. Hernandez LM, Blazer DG. Genes, behavior, and the social environment: moving beyond the nature/nurture debate. The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health. Washington (DC). 2006.

  102. Warnecke RB, Oh A, Breen N, Gehlert S, Paskett E, Tucker KL, et al. Approaching health disparities from a population perspective: the National Institutes of Health Centers for Population Health and Health Disparities. Am J Public Health. 2008;98:1608–15. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2006.102525.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This project was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health. Funding was provided by NHLBI to Dr. Gary-Webb (K01-HL084700) and Dr. Suglia (K01-HL103199) and by NCI to Dr. Tehranifar (K07-CA151777).

Compliance with Ethics Guidelines

ᅟ

Conflict of Interest

Tiffany L. Gary-Webb declares that she has no conflict of interest. Shakira F. Suglia declares that she has no conflict of interest. Parisa Tehranifar declares that she has no conflict of interests.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, 722 W. 168th St, New York, NY, 10032, USA

    Tiffany L. Gary-Webb, Shakira F. Suglia & Parisa Tehranifar

Authors
  1. Tiffany L. Gary-Webb
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Shakira F. Suglia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Parisa Tehranifar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tiffany L. Gary-Webb.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gary-Webb, T.L., Suglia, S.F. & Tehranifar, P. Social Epidemiology of Diabetes and Associated Conditions. Curr Diab Rep 13, 850–859 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-013-0427-3

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-013-0427-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation