Gestational diabetes (GDM) prevalence increases with increasing body mass index (BMI), and evidence suggests that the association may vary by ethnicity. Using a cross-sectional study, we examined the association between BMI and GDM by ethnicity. Data were obtained from administrative health datasets for all of Ontario, Canada. Using a validated algorithm, we identified Chinese and South Asian maternal ethnicity; all others were categorized as the general population. GDM was ascertained through hospital and claims records. The study population consisted of women without pre-existing diabetes who had a livebirth between April 2012 and March 2014. The relation between pre-pregnancy BMI and GDM was modeled using adjusted logistic regression, stratified by ethnicity. The study population consisted of 231,618 women, of whom 10,895 (4.7%) developed GDM. The prevalence of GDM was 9.9% among South Asians, 8.2% among Chinese and 4.3% of the general population of women. Compared to a normal BMI, having an overweight BMI (25-30 kg/m2) was associated with a higher aOR of GDM among Chinese (1.96, 95% CI: 1.50-2.56), South Asian (1.87, 1.47-2.36) and the general population of women (1.84, 1.69-2.01) (Figure). GDM prevalence is considerably higher across all levels of BMI in South Asian and Chinese women compared with the general population, suggesting the need for an ethnicity-specific screening approach for GDM.
S. Read: None. H. Berger: None. D. Feig: Advisory Panel; Self; Novo Nordisk A/S. Speaker’s Bureau; Self; Medtronic. K. Fleming: None. J.G. Ray: None. B.R. Shah: None. L. Lipscombe: None.
Diabetes Action Canada (PSI19-23)
