Contribution of obesity in increasing type 2 diabetes prevalence in Iranian urban and rural adults during recent decade.

Abstract Background and Objectives The prevalence of both obesity and type 2 diabetes has increased in recent years. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes and to investigate the contribution of obesity to the increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes in urban and rural Iranian communities. Methods This study was based on four surveys from the Surveillance Survey of Risk Factors of Non-communicable Diseases (SuRFNCD), conducted in 2005, 2007, 2011, and 2016. The contribution of general and abdominal obesity to the prevalence of type 2 diabetes was determined based on the population attributable fraction (PAF). Results The mean (95% CI) age and body mass index (BMI) of the participants were 36.9 years (36.8–36.9) and 25.9 kg/m2 (25.9–26.0), respectively. The increasing rates of general obesity and diabetes were 37% and 80% among urban residents and 63% and 68% among rural residents, respectively. The PAF of general obesity and abdominal obesity to the prevalence of type 2 diabetes was 20.2% and 33.4% in urban residents and 11.8% and 21.0% in rural residents, respectively. Conclusion The prevalence of both obesity and type 2 diabetes has increased over the past 12 years. Besides, general and abdominal obesity played a substantial role in increasing the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in both urban and rural populations.