Exploring the gender difference in type 2 diabetes incidence in a Swiss cohort using latent class analysis: an intersectional approach

Abstract

Introduction Type 2 diabetes is multifactorial and influenced by the intersection of gender-related variables and other determinants of health. The aim of this study was to highlight the intersectional social position of the participants and disentangle its role from administrative sex in predicting the development of type 2 diabetes.Methods Using CoLaus|PsyCoLaus study, a Swiss single-centre prospective cohort initiated in 2003 and including 6733 participants (age 35–75 years; 54% women) at baseline, we conducted latent class analyses using gender-related variables (eg, risk-taking behaviours, gender roles represented by employment status, etc) and socioeconomic determinants at baseline (2003–2006) to construct intersectional classes and we tested their association with the development of type 2 diabetes at follow-up (2018–2021).Results Of the 6733 participants enrolled at baseline, 3409 were included in our analyses (50.6%). Over a median follow-up time of 14.5 years, 255 (7.5%) participants developed type 2 diabetes, of which 158 men (62.0%). We identified seven latent classes highlighting different intersectional social position groups (ie, young, fit, educated men (N=413), non-White physically inactive men and women (N=170), highly qualified men, former or current smokers (N=557), working women living alone (N=914), low qualified working men with overweight (N=445), women with obesity, low education and low qualified job or housewives (N=329), low educated retired participants (N=581)). Using the class labelled as ‘young, fit, educated men’ as reference, the risk of incident type 2 diabetes was higher in all other classes (adjusted OR values between 4.22 and 13.47). Classes mostly feminine had a more unfavourable intersectional social position than that of the predominantly masculine classes. The corresponding OR increased in sex-adjusted regressions analyses.Conclusions We observe cumulative intersectional effects across behavioural and socioeconomic profiles with different risks of developing type 2 diabetes emphasising the deleterious effect of a feminine gender profile. These patterns are only partly captured by traditional sex-stratified analyses.