The Association Between Conventional Risk Factors and Diabetes Is Weak Among Urban Tanzanians

Sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing the highest relative increase in diabetes (1), but data are scarce, with only nine countries reporting prevalence surveys within the last decade (2). While biological and behavioral risk factors for diabetes are fairly well-described in high-income settings, it is not known to what extent such risk factors contribute to the diabetes epidemic in low-resource settings. The aim of the current study was to assess whether conventional Western population risk factors for diabetes are appropriate in identifying individuals with diabetes among urban Tanzanians. The study took place in the urban setting of Mwanza City, which is located in northwestern Tanzania. The current study was part of a larger nutrition study (2006–2009) (3), and 743 healthy control subjects chosen from among tuberculosis patients were invited to participate. Individuals ≥15 years of age, nonpregnant, and without severe diseases were invited to participate. Ethical permission was obtained from the Medical Research Coordinating Committee of the National Institute for Medical Research, Tanzania. Standardized questionnaires were used to collect …