Relationships between stressful life events and impaired fasting glucose among left-behind farmers in rural China

Abstract Objective This study aims at examining the effects of stressful life events on risk of impaired fasting glucose among left-behind farmers in rural China. Methods The study collected data about stressful life events, family history of diabetes, lifestyle, demographics and minimum anthropometrics from left-behind famers aged 40–70 years. Calculated life event index was applied to assess the combined effects of stressful life events experienced by the left-behind farmers and its association with impaired fasting glucose was estimated using binary logistic regression models. Results The prevalence of abnormal fasting glucose was 61.4% by American Diabetes Association (ADA) standard and 32.4% by World Health Organization (WHO) standard. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed a coefficient of 0.033 ( P P Conclusions The left-behind farmers showed over two-fold prevalence rate of pre-diabetes than that of the nation's average and their risk of impaired fasting glucose was positively associated with stressful life events in a dose-dependent way. Both the population studied and their life events merit special attention.