Women living in SoBo more prone to diabetes

Women living in south Mumbai are more prone to diabetes as against those from the suburbs, suggests data from the fourth National Family Health Survey (NFHS). The findings showed that 11.8% of women from the island city had high blood sugar levels — above 140 milligrams of glucose per deciliter of blood (mg/dl) — as compared to 6.4% women residing in the suburbs.

Moreover, 3.9% women living in the island city had blood sugar levels above 160 mg/dl as compared to 3.5% in the suburbs. The readings do not indicate diabetes, but only pre-diabetes stage.

A total of 608 and 673 women in the age group of 15 to 49 years were surveyed in the south Mumbai and suburbs, respectively. NHFS was conducted by the Mumbai-based International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) between April and September 2015.

Dr Sarang Pedgaonkar, coordinator for the NFHS and assistant professor at IIPS, said, “This difference could be correlated to the lifestyle differences such as physical activity and dietary difference between women from the island city and the suburbs.”

Pedgaonkar, however, said though the initial findings show higher prevalence of elevated blood sugar levels in women from south Mumbai, more analysis is required before drawing any conclusions.

The NFHS is conducted by the central government in all districts to collect and analyse data on issues related to health and family welfare.