Intergenerational educational mobility and type 2 diabetes in the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging

Lindsay Fernández-Rhodes, Julia B. Ward, Chantel L. Martin, Adina Zeki Al Hazzouri, Jacqueline Torres, Penny Gordon-Larsen, Mary N. Haan, Allison E. Aiello

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Purpose: United States (US) Latinos have the lowest educational attainment of any US racial/ethnic group, which may contribute to their disparate burden of Type 2 Diabetes. Herein, we aimed to examine the association between intergenerational educational mobility and Type 2 Diabetes among US Latino adults. Methods: We used data from the Niños Lifestyle and Diabetes Study (2013–2014) and the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging (1998–1999) to link 616 adult Latino children to their parents. Model-based standardization and robust Poisson regression were used to estimate the prevalence of prediabetes, Type 2 Diabetes, treatment and glycemic control, and describe their associations with intergenerational educational mobility. Results: Adult children with stable high intergenerational educational attainment had a higher prevalence of prediabetes (Prevalence Ratio, PR=1.58; 95% Confidence Interval, CI=1.08, 2.34) and lower prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes (PR=0.64, CI=0.41, 0.99), as compared to those who experienced low educational attainment across generations. Downward mobility was associated with a higher prevalence of prediabetes (PR=1.54, CI=1.06, 2.23) and worse glycemic control (PR=2.20, CI=1.13, 4.30), and upward mobility was associated with a lower prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes (PR=0.39, CI=0.22, 0.70). Conclusions: Our findings from a predominantly Mexican-heritage community suggest that higher education across generations may buffer individuals from glycemic dysregulation. As such, higher education may be a promising public health target to address the rising burden of Type 2 Diabetes in the US.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)93-100
Number of pages8
JournalAnnals of Epidemiology
Volume65
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2022

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Epidemiology

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