Stature is inversely associated with self-reported diabetes in middle-aged Mexican women

To investigate whether stature is associated with two highly prevalent cardiom- etabolic disorders-diabetes mellitus (DM) and high blood pressure (HBP) -in middle-aged Mexican women.

We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of a sample of 93 481 middle-aged Mexican female teachers, all participating in the Mexican Teachers Cohort (MTC, or ESMaestras) study. We used a multivariable regression model to investigate the association of stature quintiles with the self-reported outcomes of DM and HBP.

After adjusting for birth cohort, ethnicity, family history, birthweight, occupation of household's head during participant's childhood, menopausal status, and geographical region of birthplace, stature was inversely associated with DM, with the odds for DM being 9% higher in the lowest stature quintile when compared to the highest stature quintile. Stratification for location of residence resulted in confirmation of the above-mentioned findings only in partici- pants living in urban environments.

We found an inverse association of stature with DM but not with HBP. Our data suggest that urban setting might be an important effect modifier of this association, which merits further investigation since it might provide valuable insights into the epidemiological transition occurring in developing countries.