ABSTRACT
Socio-economically deprived subjects are reported to have an increased risk of diabetes and related complications. The aim of this study was to confirm this relation in a large French population. The study subjects consisted of 32,435 men and 16,378 women aged from 35 to 80 years who had a free health checkup at the IPC Center (Investigations Preventives et Cliniques, Paris-Ile de France) between January 2003 and December 2006. Socio-economic deprivation was evaluated by using the EPICES approach (Evaluation de la Précarité et des Inégalités de santé dans les Centres d'Examens de Santé de France). Socio-economically deprived subjects were defined as those with scores in the 5th quintile. The prevalence of diabetes among deprived men and women was respectively 6% and 7% at age 35-59 years, and 18% and 15% at age 60-80 years. The prevalence of diabetes increased with level of deprivation. Compared to the 1st quintile of the EPICES score distribution, diabetes was three to eight times more frequent in the 5th quintile. After taking into account age, the body mass index, waist circumference, and anxiety and depression, the risk that deprived subjects would be diabetic (odds ratio) was respectively 4.2 and 5.2 for men and women aged 35-39 years, and 3.5 and 2.2 for those aged 60-80 years. The following cardiovascular risk markers were significantly higher or more frequent among deprived subjects: body mass, abdominal obesity, high blood pressure and the metabolic syndrome in women; and lower HDL cholesterol, higher triglyceride levels, proteinuria, a higher heart rate and additional ECG abnormalities in both men and women. Other indicators of poor health were also more frequent among deprived subjects, including anxiety and depression, smoking (among men), elevated gamma-GT and alkaline phosphatase levels, lung vital capacity, visual disorders, and dental plaque. Finally, deprived subjects also had more limited access to health care. Thus, socio-economic status markedly influences the risk of diabetes, independently of confounding factors. Several markers of cardiovascular risk and poor health were significantly more frequent among socio-economically deprived subjects, who also had more limited access to health care.
