Factors associated with the prevalence of diabetes as self-reported by elderly persons in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, 2003

Abstract

The prevalence of diabetes has been increasing worldwide. This study has the objective of analyzing the prevalence of self-reported diabetes among the elderly of age 60 or over living in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Methods: The study is based on cross-sectional data derived from PNAD-2003 taken from a sample of 3662 persons aged 60 years or over. Factors associated with diabetes were organized according to individual and community/household levels and analyzed using five multivariate logistic regression models. The first model included only more distant variables while the others were included progressively, according to their proximity to diabetes. In the final model, the chance of acquiring diabetes was greater for elderly residents living in urban areas over rural areas, women over men, those who have high blood pressure over those who do not, those with heart disease over those without, pension receivers over non-receivers, and those without instruction, or from one to three years of schooling over those with five or more years of study. The chances of having diabetes was greater for those in single-person households versus those with more than one person, those between ages 70 and 74 over those between 60 and 64, as well as those with income below one minimum wage and between three and five minimum wages over those with incomes of five times the minimum wage or over. Conclusion: The relationship between individual income and diabetes indicates that more research is needed to investigate the association between the access to health services by the elderly and self-reported diabetes, even when other demographic and socioeconomic factors are controlled.