The association between sociodemographic characteristics, clinical indicators and body mass index in a population at risk of type 2 diabetes: A cross-sectional study in two Colombian cities

To assess the association between sociodemographic and clinical factors with body mass index (BMI) in a population at risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Bogotá and Barranquilla, Colombia. This cross-sectional study used data from the PREDICOL Study. Participants with a FINDRISC ≥ 12 who underwent an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) were included in the study (n=1166). The final analytical sample size was 1101 participants. Those with missing data were excluded from the analysis (n=65). The main outcome was body mass index (BMI), which was categorized as normal, overweight, and obese. We utilized unadjusted and adjusted ordinal logistic regression analysis to calculate odds ratios (OR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI). The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 41 % (n=449) and 47 % (n=517), respectively. Participants with a 2-hour glucose ≥139 mg/dl had 1.71 times higher odds of being overweight or obese (regarding normal weight) than participants with normal 2-hour glucose values. In addition, being a woman, waist circumference altered, and blood pressure >120/80 mmHg were statistically significantly associated with a higher BMI. Strategies to control glycemia, blood pressure, and central adiposity are needed in people at risk of T2D. Future studies should be considered with a territorial and gender focus, considering behavioral, and sociocultural patterns. •Nine out of ten people at risk of type 2 diabetes had either overweight or obesity in Bogota and Barranquilla•Increased blood pressure and 2-hour post-prandial glucose levels ≥ 140 mg/dl increased the odds of overweight or obesity.•It is important to control the cardio-metabolic profile in people at high risk of type 2 diabetes.