Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine if a relationship exists between birth weight and diabetes among South Asian American women aged 18 or older living in the U.S. A quantitative web-based cross-sectional survey was designed and distributed to recruit a diverse sample of eligible participants (N=2634). The survey assessed very low birth weight, low birth weight (LBW), pregnancy, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and gestational diabetes mellitus. Of the study population, 21.9% were born very low birth weight, 30.8% were born low birth weight, 12.4% had type 2 diabetes, and 25.9% had a gestational diabetes diagnosis.
After controlling for covariates, women who were born with very low birth weight have 6.54 higher odds of developing type 2 diabetes than women who were not born with very low birth weight. Additionally, women who were born with low birth weight have 4.251 higher odds of developing type 2 diabetes compared to women who were not born with low birth weight. South Asian American women who were born with low birth weight and very low birth weight have 2.5 and 2.59 higher odds of developing gestational diabetes, respectively, compared to participants not born with these conditions.
South Asian American women born with very low birth weight or low birth weight are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes. This is one of the first studies to explore birth weight and diabetes among South Asian American women and provides evidence for the need to develop culturally relevant diabetes prevention interventions for a growing population in the United States.