Diabetes Care: Is "son preference" a potential risk factor for diabetes?

Many factors increase the likelihood of diabetes, common factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, low HDL and aging
.
But are there other drivers that have been overlooked?

Recently, scholars from Pakistan Areeba Ikram, Sameen Ikram, and Mubah Inam published an article in the journal Diabetes Care (Region 1, IF: 17.
152), turning people's attention to a corner that may have been neglected for a long time - multiple births
due to son preference.

Diabetes is a chronic disease that disrupts the body's metabolism and is characterized by a state of decreased insulin secretion, insulin resistance, and hyperglycemia
.
The global burden of diabetes is increasing, with the latest statistics showing a global prevalence of 10.
5% among people aged 20-79 years, with 432.
7 million people living in low- and middle-income countries
.
In addition, it is estimated that by 2045, the prevalence of diabetes will rise to 12.
2%, and the number of patients will reach 783.
2 million
.

Multiple births increase the risk of diabetes, and "son preference" is one of the factors

Multiple births are the birth of five or more
children.
The authors note that little was previously known about the relationship between multiple births and diabetes risk, however, one study suggests that women with multiple births have a significantly increased risk of developing diabetes, and multiple births may be a
contributing factor to the diabetes pandemic.

In developed countries, the proportion of multiple births is about 3-4% of all births, while in developing countries with lower incomes the proportion is relatively higher
.
There are many reasons for the high fertility rate, and "son preference" is an important socio-cultural factor
.
In environments of lower socioeconomic status, the desire for boys opens the door to childbearing, which is one of
the major gender issues facing the world today.

Source: Photogram

Popularize health knowledge and curb disease epidemics

As world population policies have advanced, most countries are trying to control population numbers, but in some countries they have not succeeded
.
The desire for boys in some developing countries has not only led to more multiple births, but also to uncontrollable
health conditions.
Given the prevalence of diabetes and its global burden, indirect triggers like son preference are difficult to ignore in today's world environment
.
The authors believe that by educating the public about health and screening women for diabetes in multiple births, it will help raise awareness of these collateral health problems and help curb the global pandemic
.

Compiled by: Areeba Ikram, Sameen Ikram, Mubah Inam; Is Son Preference a Potential Risk Factor for Diabetes?.
Diabetes Care 1 November 2022; 45 （11）: e165.

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