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

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 Ninos 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.(c) 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study examines the association between intergenerational educational mobility and Type 2 Diabetes among US Latino adults. The results suggest that stable high intergenerational educational attainment is associated with higher prevalence of prediabetes and lower prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes. On the other hand, downward mobility is associated with higher prevalence of prediabetes and worse glycemic control, while upward mobility is associated with lower prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes.