Factors associated with diabetes mellitus in elderly people in the federal district

evidence from Vigitel 2023 data

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the prevalence and association of sociodemographic, clinical, and behavioral factors with diabetes mellitus in older adults in the Federal District, based on data from the Surveillance System for Risk and Protective Factors (VIGITEL) in 2023. Methods: a descriptive epidemiological study was conducted with 225 older adults using self-reported data from VIGITEL 2023. Descriptive, association, and binary logistic regression analyses were performed (p<0.05). Results: a prevalence of 29.8% of DM was observed among older adults. Low education, overweight, obesity, hypertension, and negative health perception were associated with a higher likelihood of DM, while resistance exercise was associated with a lower likelihood in the univariate analysis (p<0.05; OR > 1.00). After multivariate analysis, overweight and negative health perceptions remained associated with a higher likelihood of DM in older adults. Conclusion: a total of 29.8% of older adults reported having DM, with overweight and negative health perceptions associated with a higher likelihood of the disease. These findings highlight the need for early identification and control of factors associated with DM prevalence, particularly modifiable factors such as weight management and the promotion of a positive health perception, for the prevention and management of diabetes mellitus in older adults.