BENGALURU: A study by Indian Council of Medical Research-India Diabetes found an increased risk of diabetes, obesity and hypertension among those who have migrated from rural to urban areas in India.
The study, done across 28 states and two Union Territories, shows that prevalence of these non-communicable diseases is higher in non-migrant urban dwellers and rural-urban migrants. The study, ‘Effect of Internal Migration on Diabetes and Metabolic Abnormalities in India - The ICMR-INDIAB Study’ was published recently in the Journal of Diabetes and its Complications.
“The national study on diabetes and associated cardiometabolic disorders was done in individuals who moved to a different place from their birth, and resided in urban locations for at least one year. It found that prevalence of diabetes, obesity and hypertension was higher in non-migrant urban dwellers and rural population who moved to urban areas,” the study says. The study was led by Dr R Guha Pradeepa, Senior Scientist at the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF), Chennai, along with a team of scientists from various states.
The study being a complex one, involving 28 states and two UTs, was done in phases, and Karnataka was covered in Phase 2, which also included Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat and Punjab. In all, five phases were done with a sample size of 4,000 individuals in each state.
Commenting on the study, lead author Dr Pradeepa says, “The prevalence of diabetes was 14.7 per cent among rural to urban migrants, 13.2 per cent among those permanently residing in urban areas, 12.7 per cent among urban to rural migrants, and 7.7 per cent among those who were permanently residing in rural areas,” he said.
Interestingly, the study found that over half the population who migrated from rural to urban areas had abdominal obesity (increased waist circumference) and this was considerably higher compared to the other three groups. The risk for diabetes was nearly two times higher in those who migrated from rural to urban areas, compared to rural dwellers. “Five risk factors -- hypertension, abdominal and generalised obesity, physical inactivity and low fruit and vegetable intake -- together explained 70 per cent of increase in diabetes rate among rural to urban migrants,” Dr Guha explained.
While the study proved that the risk was higher, especially in migrants from rural areas, Dr V Mohan, Chairman, Dr Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre and President, MDRF, points out that this could be attributed to a change in diet, exercise and possibly other less studied factors like stress and environmental pollution.
Agreeing with the study findings, Dr Abhay Gundubarthi, endocrinologist, Sagar Hospitals, said, “People from villages who come to towns and cities tend to develop more body fat. The usage of oil, sweets, food habits, time spent on watching television etc are also some of the reasons,” he added. The researchers call for prevention programmes emphasising a healthy lifestyle for those living in urban settings.