Inconvenience of Living Place Affects Individual HbA1c Level in a Rural Area in Japan: Shimane CoHRE Study

Rie Fukuoka, Miwako Takeda, Takafumi Abe, Masayuki Yamasaki, Shinji Kimura, Kenta Okuyama, Minoru Isomura and Toru Nabika
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Rie Fukuoka: Department of Community Health and Gerontological Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, Izumo, Shimane 693-8501, Japan
Miwako Takeda: The Center for Community-Based Healthcare Research and Education (CoHRE), Shimane University, Izumo, Shimane 693-8501, Japan
Takafumi Abe: The Center for Community-Based Healthcare Research and Education (CoHRE), Shimane University, Izumo, Shimane 693-8501, Japan
Masayuki Yamasaki: The Center for Community-Based Healthcare Research and Education (CoHRE), Shimane University, Izumo, Shimane 693-8501, Japan
Shinji Kimura: The Center for Community-Based Healthcare Research and Education (CoHRE), Shimane University, Izumo, Shimane 693-8501, Japan
Kenta Okuyama: The Center for Community-Based Healthcare Research and Education (CoHRE), Shimane University, Izumo, Shimane 693-8501, Japan
Minoru Isomura: The Center for Community-Based Healthcare Research and Education (CoHRE), Shimane University, Izumo, Shimane 693-8501, Japan
Toru Nabika: Department of Functional Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, Izumo, Shimane 693-8501, Japan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 3, 1-9

Abstract: Background: It has been shown that the socio-geographical environment of residential areas, such as altitude, affects the health status and health-maintenance behavior of residents. Here, we examined a hypothesis that altitude of residence would influence glycemic control in a general elderly population living in a rural area. Methods: A thousand and sixteen participants living in a mountainous region in Japan were recruited at health examinations. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was measured in serum as a parameter of glycemic control. The altitude of residence, distance to grocery stores and to medical facilities were estimated using a geographic information system. Results: Linear regression analysis confirmed a significant effect of the altitude on log HbA1c even after adjustment of other demographic and biochemical factors. When the distance to grocery stores or medical facilities were used instead of the altitude in a linear regression analysis, distance to secondary medical facilities alone showed a significant effect on HbA1c. Conclusions: We found a positive correlation between HbA1c level and residential altitude in a rural area of Japan. The altitude seemed to be a parameter substituting the inconvenicence of residential areas. Socio-geographical factors of living place, such as inconvenience, may influence glycemic control of the residents.

Keywords: diabetes mellitus; geographical information system; altitude; a cross-sectional study (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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