Factors associated with the age of the onset of diabetes in women aged 50†years or more: a population-based study.

OBJECTIVE: Investigate factors associated with the onset of diabetes in women aged more than 49 years. DESIGN AND METHODS: Cross-sectional, population-based study using self-reports with 622 women. The dependent variable was the age of occurrence of diabetes using the life table method. Cox multiple regression models were adjusted to analyse the onset of diabetes according to predictor variables. Sociodemographic, clinical and behavioural factors were evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 622 women interviewed, 22.7% had diabetes. The mean age at onset was 56 years. The factors associated with the age of occurrence of diabetes were self-rated health (very good, good) (coefficient=-0.792; SE of the coefficient=0.215; p=0.0001), more than two individuals living in the household (coefficient=0.656, SE of the coefficient=0.223; p=0.003), and body mass index (BMI) (kg/m(2)) at 20-30 years of age (coefficient= 0.056, SE of the coefficient=0.023; p=0.014). CONCLUSIONS: Self-rated health considered good or very good was associated with a higher rate of survival without diabetes. Sharing a home with two or more other people and a weight increase at 20-30 years of age was associated with the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Factors associated with self-perception of health among Brazilian women 50 years or older: a population-based study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate factors associated with self-perception of health among women 50 years or older living in a Brazilian city. METHODS: A cross-sectional, population-based study was conducted using self-reported data from a household survey carried out in a sample of 622 women 50 years or older. Sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with the women's perception of their own health (very good, good, fair, poor, or very poor) were assessed. χ2 test and Poison multiple logistic regression analysis were used to select the principal factors associated with a poorer perception of health at a significance level of 5%. RESULTS: Multiple analyses showed that the probability of association of chronic diseases with a woman's perception of her health as fair, poor, or very poor increased by 97% when at least two morbidities were present, whereas for each point (kg/m2) increase in body mass index, the probability of association with her perceiving her health as poorer increased by 2% (95% CI, 1.01-1.04). The probability of association decreased by 50% if she had more than 8 years of schooling (95% CI, 0.36-0.70), by 29% if she had health insurance (95% CI, 0.59-0.86), and by 32% if she performed physical exercise weekly (95% CI, 0.54-0.86). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of multimorbidities and a higher body mass index increases the probability of association with a woman's poorer perception of her own health, whereas having more than 8 years of schooling, having medical insurance, and performing physical exercise weekly decreases the probability of association with a poorer perception of health.