Factors associated with diabetes mellitus among adults: Findings from the Indonesian Family Life Survey-5

Purpose

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is an increasingly prevalent health concern in Indonesia, and national information about its contributing factors remained limited. This study primarily aimed to investigate these factors associated with DM in Indonesia.

Patients and methods

This study utilized data from the fifth wave of Indonesian Family Life Survey-5 (IFLS-5) in 2014. The survey included individuals aged ≥15 years and assessed DM based on the obtained glycated hemoglobin values through dried blood spot specimens. Blood pressure data was acquired using omron digital self-inflating sphygmomanometers, with an average of three readings. Mean arterial pressure was used to classify respondents' hypertensive status, while anthropometric measurements were taken according to World Health Organization guidelines to calculate body mass index, providing data on obesity. Specific questions and protocols evaluated lifestyle information encompassed smoking habits, sleep quality, and physical activity, and sociodemographic factors encompassed age, gender, marital status, ethnicity, and employment status, with accordingly categorized responses. Logistic regression analysis assessed the potential associations between these factors with DM, and the results were reported in terms of odds ratios (OR) with a 95 % confidence interval (CI). The analyses were conducted using the SPSS software program.

Results

The study included 6740 respondents, of whom 8.4 % had DM. The majority were female (55.2 %), Muslim (89 %), not obese (71.1 %), nonhypertensive (63.3 %), had poor sleep quality (95.9 %), lacked physical activity (77.9 %), and were aged 15–45 years (56 %). Factors that demonstrated higher risks of developing DM are male gender (OR: 1.383, 95 % CI: 1.117–1.712), unemployment (OR: 1.619, 95 % CI: 1.225–2.139), no physical activity (OR: 1.619, 95 % CI: 1.225–2.139), obesity (OR: 3.076, 95 % CI: 2.512–3.766), and hypertension (HTN) (OR: 1.713, 95 % CI: 1.396–2.103). Age between 15 and 44 (OR: 0.348, 95 % CI: 0.295–0.468) has lower likelihood to develop DM.

Conclusion

This study has identified associations between HTN, obesity, physical activity, and employment status with DM in Indonesia. Healthcare professionals should integrate more patient-specific factors when designing and implementing tailored interventions to manage DM in Indonesia.