Breastfeeding and infant growth in offspring of mothers with hyperglycaemia in pregnancy: The pregnancy and neonatal diabetes outcomes in remote Australia study

BACKGROUND

Benefits of breastfeeding on infant growth in children born to mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are uncertain.

OBJECTIVES

To describe growth trajectories between birth and 14 months according to breastfeeding and maternal hyperglycaemia in pregnancy, and assess associations between breastfeeding and 14 month growth outcomes among children born to mothers with GDM.

SUBJECTS/METHODS

Data on 258 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infants from the PANDORA study born to mothers with normoglycaemia (n = 73), GDM (n = 122), or with pre-existing type 2 diabetes (n = 63) in pregnancy were assessed. Infant weight and BMI growth trajectories according to predominant breastfeeding at 6 months and hyperglycaemia in pregnancy were developed using mixed-effect models and cubic splines. Associations between breastfeeding and 14-month growth outcomes (z-scores: weight-for-age, weight-for-length and BMI) were evaluated using linear regression in a subgroup of infants born to mothers with GDM.

RESULTS

Predominantly breastfed infants had lower BMI trajectories compared to those not predominantly breastfed, irrespective of maternal hyperglycaemia in pregnancy status (p < 0.01 for all groups), and lower weight trajectories among those born to mothers with GDM (p = 0.006). Among offspring of women with GDM, predominant breastfeeding was only associated with lower weight-for-age at 14 months, however adjusting for maternal obesity, smoking, and parity attenuated observed associations. Maternal obesity remained significantly associated with greater infant growth.

CONCLUSIONS

Predominant breastfeeding was associated with reduced growth among children born to women with and without hyperglycaemia in pregnancy. However, among children exposed to GDM in utero, maternal obesity largely explained this association.

Type 2 diabetes after a pregnancy with gestational diabetes among first nations women in Australia: The PANDORA study

AIMS

To determine among First Nations and Europid pregnant women the cumulative incidence and predictors of postpartum type 2 diabetes and prediabetes and describe postpartum cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk profiles.

METHODS

PANDORA is a prospective longitudinal cohort of women recruited in pregnancy. Ethnic-specific rates of postpartum type 2 diabetes and prediabetes were reported for women with diabetes in pregnancy (DIP), gestational diabetes (GDM) or normoglycaemia in pregnancy over a short follow-up of 2.5 years (n = 325). Pregnancy characteristics and CVD risk profiles according to glycaemic status, and factors associated with postpartum diabetes/prediabetes were examined in First Nations women.

RESULTS

The cumulative incidence of postpartum type 2 diabetes among women with DIP or GDM were higher for First Nations women (48%, 13/27, women with DIP, 13%, 11/82, GDM), compared to Europid women (nil DIP or GDM p < 0.001). Characteristics associated with type 2 diabetes/prediabetes among First Nations women with GDM/DIP included, older age, multiparity, family history of diabetes, higher glucose values, insulin use and body mass index (BMI).

CONCLUSIONS

First Nations women experience a high incidence of postpartum type 2 diabetes after GDM/DIP, highlighting the need for culturally responsive policies at an individual and systems level, to prevent diabetes and its complications.

Qualitative insights into Australian consumers' views for and against government action on sugary drinks

OBJECTIVES

Despite significant evidence of harms associated with high levels of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption, and international moves towards regulation to curb overconsumption of such drinks, Australia has been slow to take policy action. This study provides in-depth insights into consumers' reactions to different SSB policy options.

METHODS

Eight focus groups were undertaken with 59 regular SSB consumers and/or household purchasers, stratified by: young adults aged 21-29 years (no children), parents aged 35-50 (with children at home); gender; and socio-economic status. Consumer responses to potential government intervention and policy options were explored using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Three main themes were identified. Theme 1 describes participants' changing views on regulation of SSBs throughout the focus groups, expressed through shifts in understandings of personal responsibility and the role of government. It was noted that the term 'regulation' should be used judiciously, as it was widely misunderstood to infer bans. Theme 2 articulates the participants' preference for child-focused measures and educative measures such as clearer front-of-pack labelling. Taxation on SSBs was viewed more favourably if paired with investment into education. Theme 3 describes the parallels that participants drew between SSBs and other substances.

CONCLUSIONS

A comprehensive approach that includes education, child-focused interventions and regulatory approaches may increase acceptability of policy measures to curb overconsumption of SSBs.

Associations of gestational diabetes and type 2 diabetes during pregnancy with breastfeeding at hospital discharge and up to 6 months: the PANDORA study

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

Women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and obesity experience lower rates of breastfeeding. Little is known about breastfeeding among mothers with type 2 diabetes. Australian Indigenous women have a high prevalence of type 2 diabetes in pregnancy. We aimed to evaluate the association of hyperglycaemia, including type 2 diabetes, with breastfeeding outcomes.

METHODS

Indigenous (n = 495) and non-Indigenous (n = 555) participants of the Pregnancy And Neonatal Diabetes Outcomes in Remote Australia (PANDORA) cohort included women without hyperglycaemia in pregnancy (n = 222), with GDM (n = 684) and with type 2 diabetes (n = 144). The associations of hyperglycaemia in pregnancy and breastfeeding at hospital discharge, 6 weeks and 6 months post-partum were evaluated with logistic regression, after adjustment for maternal obesity, ethnicity, maternal and neonatal characteristics.

RESULTS

Indigenous women were more likely to predominantly breastfeed at 6 weeks across all levels of hyperglycaemia. Compared with women with no hyperglycaemia in pregnancy, women with type 2 diabetes had lower odds for exclusive breastfeeding at discharge (adjusted OR for exclusive breastfeeding 0.4 [95% CI 0.2, 0.8] p = 0.006). At 6 weeks and 6 months, the relationship between type 2 diabetes and predominant breastfeeding was not statistically significant (6 weeks 0.7 [0.3, 1.6] p = 0.40, 6 months 0.8 [0.4, 1.6] p = 0.60). Women with gestational diabetes were as likely to achieve predominant breastfeeding at 6 weeks and 6 months as women without hyperglycaemia in pregnancy.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Indigenous women had high rates of breastfeeding. Women with type 2 diabetes had difficulty establishing exclusive breastfeeding at hospital discharge. Further research is needed to assess the impact on long-term breastfeeding outcomes. Graphical abstract.

Social and economic factors, maternal behaviours in pregnancy and neonatal adiposity in the PANDORA cohort

BACKGROUND

Australian Indigenous women experience high rates of social disadvantage and type 2 diabetes (T2D) in pregnancy, but it is not known how social factors and maternal behaviours impact neonatal adiposity in offspring of women with hyperglycaemia in pregnancy.

METHODS

Participants were Indigenous (n = 404) and Europid (n = 240) women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) or T2D in pregnancy and their offspring in the Pregnancy and Neonatal Diabetes Outcomes in Remote Australia (PANDORA) study. Social, economic factors, and maternal behaviours were measured in pregnancy and six neonatal anthropometric outcomes were examined after birth.

RESULTS

On univariate analysis, maternal education < 12 years (p = 0.03), unemployment (p = 0.001), welfare income vs no welfare income (p = 0.001), lower area based socio-economic score (p < 0.001), and fast food intake > 2 times/week (p = 0.002) were associated with increased sum of skinfolds (SSF) in offspring. Smoking was significantly associated with a reduction in anthropometric measures, except SSF. In multivariable models adjusted for ethnicity, BMI and hyperglycaemia, social and economic factors were no longer significant predictors of neonatal outcomes. Smoking was independently associated with a reduction in length, head circumference and fat free mass. Frequent fast food intake remained independently associated with SSF (β-coefficient 1.08 mm, p = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

In women with hyperglycaemia in pregnancy, social factors were associated with neonatal adiposity, particularly skinfold measures. Promoting smoking cessation and limited intake of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods in pregnancy are important to improve neonatal adiposity and lean mass outcomes. Addressing inequities in social and economic factors are likely to be important, particularly for Indigenous women or women experiencing social disadvantage.

Cord blood metabolic markers are strong mediators of the effect of maternal adiposity on fetal growth in pregnancies across the glucose tolerance spectrum: the PANDORA study

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

We aimed to assess associations between cord blood metabolic markers and fetal overgrowth, and whether cord markers mediated the impact of maternal adiposity on neonatal anthropometric outcomes among children born to Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Australian women with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and pregestational type 2 diabetes mellitus.

METHODS

From the Pregnancy and Neonatal Outcomes in Remote Australia (PANDORA) study, an observational cohort of 1135 mother-baby pairs, venous cord blood was available for 645 singleton babies (49% Indigenous Australian) of women with NGT (n = 129), GDM (n = 419) and type 2 diabetes (n = 97). Cord glucose, triacylglycerol, HDL-cholesterol, C-reactive protein (CRP) and C-peptide were measured. Multivariable logistic and linear regression were used to assess the associations between cord blood metabolic markers and the outcomes of birthweight z score, sum of skinfold thickness (SSF), being large for gestational age (LGA) and percentage of body fat. Pathway analysis assessed whether cord markers mediated the associations between maternal and neonatal adiposity.

RESULTS

Elevated cord C-peptide was significantly associated with increasing birthweight z score (β 0.57 [95% CI 0.42, 0.71]), SSF (β 0.83 [95% CI 0.41, 1.25]), percentage of body fat (β 1.20 [95% CI 0.69, 1.71]) and risk for LGA [OR 3.14 [95% CI 2.11, 4.68]), after adjusting for age, ethnicity and diabetes type. Cord triacylglycerol was negatively associated with birthweight z score for Indigenous Australian women only. No associations between cord glucose, HDL-cholesterol and CRP >0.3 mg/l (2.9 nmol/l) with neonatal outcomes were observed. C-peptide mediated 18% (95% CI 13, 36) of the association of maternal BMI with LGA and 11% (95% CI 8, 17) of the association with per cent neonatal fat.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Cord blood C-peptide is an important mediator of the association between maternal and infant adiposity, across the spectrum of maternal glucose tolerance.

Pregnancy And Neonatal Diabetes Outcomes in Remote Australia: the PANDORA study-an observational birth cohort

BACKGROUND

In Australia's Northern Territory, 33% of babies are born to Indigenous mothers, who experience high rates of hyperglycemia in pregnancy. We aimed to determine the extent to which pregnancy outcomes for Indigenous Australian women are explained by relative frequencies of diabetes type [type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and gestational diabetes (GDM)].

METHODS

This prospective birth cohort study examined participants recruited from a hyperglycemia in pregnancy register. Baseline data collected were antenatal and perinatal clinical information, cord blood and neonatal anthropometry. Of 1135 women (48% Indigenous), 900 had diabetes: 175 T2DM, 86 newly diagnosed diabetes in pregnancy (DIP) and 639 had GDM. A group of 235 women without hyperglycemia in pregnancy was also recruited.

RESULTS

Diabetes type differed for Indigenous and non-Indigenous women (T2DM, 36 vs 5%; DIP, 15 vs 7%; GDM, 49 vs 88%, p < 0.001). Within each diabetes type, Indigenous women were younger and had higher smoking rates. Among women with GDM/DIP, Indigenous women demonstrated poorer birth outcomes than non-Indigenous women: large for gestational age, 19 vs 11%, p = 0·002; neonatal fat 11.3 vs 10.2%, p < 0.001. In the full cohort, on multivariate regression, T2DM and DIP were independently associated (and Indigenous ethnicity was not) with pregnancy outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher rates of T2DM among Indigenous women predominantly contribute to absolute poorer pregnancy outcomes among Indigenous women with hyperglycemia. As with Indigenous and minority populations globally, prevention or delay of type 2 diabetes in younger women is vital to improve pregnancy outcomes and possibly to improve the long-term health of their offspring.

Performance of cardiovascular risk prediction equations in Indigenous Australians

OBJECTIVE

To assess the performance of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk equations in Indigenous Australians.

METHODS

We conducted an individual participant meta-analysis using longitudinal data of 3618 Indigenous Australians (55% women) aged 30-74 years without CVD from population-based cohorts of the Cardiovascular Risk in IndigenouS People(CRISP) consortium. Predicted risk was calculated using: 1991 and 2008 Framingham Heart Study (FHS), the Pooled Cohorts (PC), GloboRisk and the Central Australian Rural Practitioners Association (CARPA) modification of the FHS equation. Calibration, discrimination and diagnostic accuracy were evaluated. Risks were calculated with and without the use of clinical criteria to identify high-risk individuals.

RESULTS

When applied without clinical criteria, all equations, except the CARPA-adjusted FHS, underestimated CVD risk (range of percentage difference between observed and predicted CVD risks: -55% to -14%), with underestimation greater in women (-63% to -13%) than men (-47% to -18%) and in younger age groups. Discrimination ranged from 0.66 to 0.72. The CARPA-adjusted FHS equation showed good calibration but overestimated risk in younger people, those without diabetes and those not at high clinical risk. When clinical criteria were used with risk equations, the CARPA-adjusted FHS algorithm scored 64% of those who had CVD events as high risk; corresponding figures for the 1991-FHS were 58% and were 87% for the PC equation for non-Hispanic whites. However, specificity fell.

CONCLUSION

The CARPA-adjusted FHS CVD risk equation and clinical criteria performed the best, achieving higher combined sensitivity and specificity than other equations. However, future research should investigate whether modifications to this algorithm combination might lead to improved risk prediction.

Chronic condition risk factor change over time in a remote Indigenous community

INTRODUCTION

This study sought to determine change in chronic condition risk factors in a remote Indigenous community following a 3-year period of community-led health promotion initiatives.

METHODS

Data were compared between two cross-sectional surveys of Indigenous Australian community residents before and after health promotion activities, and longitudinal analysis of participants present at both surveys using multilevel mixed-effects regression.

RESULTS

At baseline, 294 (53% women; mean age 35 years) participated and 218 attended the second survey (56% women, mean age 40 years), and 87 attended both. Body composition, blood pressure and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio remained stable between baseline and follow-up. After adjusting for age and sex, haemoglobin A1c significantly increased (from 57 to 63 mmol/mol (7.5% to 8.1%), p=0.021) for those with diabetes. Increases were also observed for total cholesterol (from 4.4 to 4.6 mmol/L, p=0.006) and triglycerides (from 1.5 to 1.6 mmol/L, p=0.019), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels improved (from 0.98 to 1.02 mmol/L, p=0.018). Self-reported smoking prevalence was high but stable between baseline (57%) and follow-up (56%). Similar results were observed in the longitudinal analysis to the cross-sectional survey comparison.

CONCLUSION

Community-led health promotion initiatives may have had some benefits on chronic condition risk factors, including stabilisation of body composition, in this remote Indigenous community. Given that less favourable trends were observed for diabetes and total cholesterol over a short time period and smoking prevalence remained high, policy initiatives that address social and economic disadvantage are needed alongside community-led health promotion initiatives.

Chronic kidney disease and socio-economic status: a cross sectional study

Objective: This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between individual-level markers of disadvantage, renal function and cardio-metabolic risk within an Indigenous population characterised by a heavy burden of chronic kidney disease and disadvantage.Design: Using data from 20 Indigenous communities across Australia, an aggregate socio-economic status (SES) score was created from individual-level socio-economic variables reported by participants. Logistic regression was used to assess the association of individual-level socio-economic variables and the SES score with kidney function (an estimated glomerular function rate (eGFR) cut-point of <60 ml/min/1.73 m²) as well as clinical indicators of cardio-metabolic risk.Results: The combination of lower education and unemployment was associated with poorer kidney function and higher cardio-metabolic risk factors. Regression models adjusted for age and gender showed that an eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m² was associated with a low socio-economic score (lowest vs. highest 3.24 [95% CI 1.43-6.97]), remote living (remote vs. highly to moderately accessible 3.24 [95% CI 1.28-8.23]), renting (renting vs. owning/being purchased 5.76[95% CI 1.91-17.33]), unemployment (unemployed vs employed 2.85 [95% CI 1.31-6.19]) and receiving welfare (welfare vs. salary 2.49 [95% CI 1.42-4.37]). A higher aggregate socio-economic score was inversely associated with an eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m² (0.75 [95% CI 063-0.89]).Conclusion: This study extends upon our understanding of associations between area-level markers of disadvantage and burden of end stage kidney disease amongst Indigenous populations to a detailed analysis of a range of well-characterised individual-level factors such as overall low socio-economic status, remote living, renting, unemployment and welfare. With the increasing burden of end-stage kidney disease amongst Indigenous people, the underlying socio-economic conditions and social and cultural determinants of health need to be understood at an individual as well as community-level, to develop, implement, target and sustain interventions.

Health-related behaviours in a remote Indigenous population with Type 2 diabetes: a Central Australian primary care survey in the Telehealth Eye and Associated Medical Services Network [TEAMSnet] project

AIM

There is a wealth of data concerning the health behaviours of Indigenous Australians, but the health behaviours of Indigenous Australians with diabetes are not systematically documented. At the clinical level, understanding a person's health behaviours can help identify and address barriers to diabetes care and promote good clinical outcomes.

METHODS

We used a novel survey tool to systematically collect health behaviour data on Smoking, Nutrition, Alcohol consumption, Physical activity and Emotional well-being (SNAPE) from Indigenous Australians with Type 2 diabetes in a remote primary care setting in Alice Springs.

RESULTS

At least one of the five surveys in the SNAPE tool was completed by 210 participants: 30% male, mean age 52.6 years (range 22.9 - 87.4). Fifty per cent of men and 23% of women were current smokers (P < 0.001). None of the participants reported an adequate intake of vegetables. Only 9.6% reported an adequate fruit intake. Some 49% of men and 32% of women consumed alcohol in the past year (P = 0.022), and 46% of drinkers were considered high-risk or likely-dependent drinkers. On average, participants walked 10 min or more at a time 6.0 days a week and spent 4.8 h sitting on a weekday. Mean adapted Patient Health Questionnaire 9 score was 4.61, with 34% of participants having mild depressive symptoms and 11% having moderate-severe depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Our SNAPE survey tool results present a high-risk, disadvantaged Indigenous population with Type 2 diabetes. More resources will be needed to sustainably implement interventions with the goal of improving health behaviours and subsequent long-term health.

Diabetes care in remote Australia: the antenatal, postpartum and inter-pregnancy period

BACKGROUND

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women experience high rates of diabetes in pregnancy (DIP), contributing to health risks for mother and infant, and the intergenerational cycle of diabetes. By enhancing diabetes management during pregnancy, postpartum and the interval between pregnancies, the DIP Partnership aims to improve health outcomes and reduce risks early in the life-course. We describe a mixed methods formative study of health professional's perspectives of antenatal and post-partum diabetes screening and management, including enablers and barriers to care.

METHODS

Health professionals involved in providing diabetes care in pregnancy, from a range of health services across the Northern Territory, completed the survey (n = 82) and/or took part in interviews and/or focus groups (n = 62).

RESULTS

Qualitative findings highlighted factors influencing the delivery of care as reported by health professionals, including: whose responsibility it is, access to care, the baby is the focus and pre-conception care. The main challenges were related to: disjointed systems and confusion around whose role it is to provide follow-up care beyond six weeks post-partum. Quantitative findings indicated that the majority of health professionals reported confidence in their own skills to manage women in the antenatal period (62%, 40/79) and slightly lower rates of confidence in the postpartum interval (57%, 33/58).

CONCLUSION

These findings regarding whose role it is to provide postpartum care, along with opportunities to improve communication pathways and follow up care have informed the design of a complex health intervention to improve health systems and the provision of DIP related care.

Real-world experience of metformin use in pregnancy: Observational data from the Northern Territory Diabetes in Pregnancy Clinical Register

BACKGROUND

In Australia's Northern Territory, Indigenous mothers account for 33% of births and have high rates of hyperglycemia in pregnancy. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in pregnancy is up to 10-fold higher in Indigenous than non-Indigenous Australian mothers, and the use of metformin is common. We assessed birth outcomes in relation to metformin use during pregnancy from a clinical register.

METHODS

The study included women with gestational diabetes (GDM), newly diagnosed diabetes in pregnancy (DIP), or pre-existing T2D from 2012 to 2016. Data were analyzed for metformin use in the third trimester. Regression models were adjusted for maternal age, body mass index, parity, and insulin use.

RESULTS

Of 1649 pregnancies, 814 (49.4%) were to Indigenous women, of whom 234 (28.7%) had T2D (vs 4.6% non-Indigenous women; P < 0.001). Metformin use was high in Indigenous women (84%-90% T2D, 42%-48% GDM/DIP) and increased over time in non-Indigenous women (43%-100% T2D, 14%-35% GDM/DIP). Among Indigenous women with GDM/DIP, there were no significant differences between groups with and without metformin in cesarean section (51% vs 39%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.25, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.87-1.81), large for gestational age (24% vs 13%; aOR 1.5, 95% CI 0.9-2.5), or serious neonatal adverse events (9.4% vs 5.9%; aOR 1.32, 95% CI 0.68-2.57). Metformin use was independently associated with earlier gestational age (37.7 vs 38.5 weeks), but the risk did not remain independently higher after exclusion of women managed with medical nutrition therapy alone, and the increase in births <37 weeks was not significant on multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

We found no clear evidence of any adverse outcomes related to the use of metformin for the treatment of hyperglycemia in pregnancy.

Associations between Community Environmental-Level Factors and Diet Quality in Geographically Isolated Australian Communities

Remote Indigenous Australians experience disproportionately poor cardio-metabolic health, which is largely underpinned by adverse dietary intake related to social determinants. Little evidence exists about the community environmental-level factors that shape diet quality in this geographically isolated population group. This study aimed to explore the modifiable environmental-level factors associated with the features of dietary intake that underpin cardio-metabolic disease risk in this population group. Community-level dietary intake data were estimated from weekly store sales data collected throughout 2012 and linked with concurrent social, built, and physical environmental dimension data for 13 remote Indigenous Australian communities in the Northern Territory. Statistical analyses were performed to investigate associations. At the community level, store sales of discretionary foods were lower in communities with greater distance to a neighbouring store (r = −0.45 (p < 0.05)). Sales of sugar-sweetened beverages were lower in communities with higher levels of household crowding (r = −0.55 (p < 0.05)), higher levels of Indigenous unemployment (r = −0.62 (p = 0.02)), and greater distance to neighbouring stores (r = −0.61 (p = 0.004)). Modifiable environmental-level factors may be associated with adverse diet quality in remote Indigenous Australian communities and further investigations of these factors should be considered when developing policies to improve dietary intake quality in geographically isolated populations.

Is hyperfiltration associated with higher urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio at follow up among Indigenous Australians? The eGFR follow-up study

BACKGROUND

Glomerular hyperfiltration is not able to be detected in clinical practice. We assessed whether hyperfiltration is associated with albuminuria progression among Indigenous Australians at high risk of diabetes and kidney disease to determine its role in kidney disease progression.

METHODS

Longitudinal observational study of Indigenous Australians aged ≥18 years recruited from >20 sites, across diabetes and/or kidney function strata. At baseline, iohexol clearance was used to measure glomerular filtration rate (mGFR) and hyperfiltration was defined as (i) a mGFR of ≥125 mL/min/1.73 m², and (ii) an age-adjusted definition, with the top 10% of the mGFR for each 10 year age group at baseline. Baseline and follow-up urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) was collected, and linear regression was used to assess the associations of hyperfiltration and uACR at follow up.

RESULTS

407 individuals (33% men, mean age 47 years) were followed-up for a median of 3 years. At baseline, 234 had normoalbuminuria and 173 had albuminuria. Among participants with normoalbuminuria, those with mGFR ≥125 mL/min/1.73 m² had 32% higher uACR at follow-up (p = 0.08), and those with age-adjusted hyperfiltration had 60% higher uACR (p = 0.037) compared to those who had normofiltration. These associations were independent of uACR at baseline, but attenuated by HbA_1c. Associations were stronger among those without than those with albuminuria at baseline.

CONCLUSIONS

Although not available for assessment in current clinical practice, hyperfiltration may represent a marker of subsequent albuminuria progression among individuals who have not yet developed albuminuria.

Maternal body mass index, excess gestational weight gain, and diabetes are positively associated with neonatal adiposity in the Pregnancy and Neonatal Diabetes Outcomes in Remote Australia (PANDORA) study

BACKGROUND

In-utero exposures likely influence the onset and severity of obesity in youth. With increasing rates of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and maternal adiposity in pregnancy globally, it is important to assess the impact of these factors on neonatal adipose measures.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the contribution of maternal ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), gestational weight gain, and hyperglycaemia to neonatal adiposity.

METHODS

Pregnancy and Neonatal Diabetes Outcomes in Remote Australia (PANDORA) is a longitudinal cohort study of Australian mother and neonate pairs. In this analysis, Indigenous (n = 519) and Europid (n = 358) women were included, of whom 644 had hyperglycaemia (type 2 diabetes [T2DM], diabetes in pregnancy [DIP], or gestational diabetes [GDM]). Associations between maternal ethnicity, hyperglycaemia, BMI and gestational weight gain, and the neonatal outcomes of length, head circumference, sum of skinfolds, total body fat, and percentage body fat were examined. Models were adjusted for maternal age, smoking status, parity, education, neonatal gender, and gestational age.

RESULTS

Among those with hyperglycaemia in pregnancy, Indigenous women had a higher proportion of T2DM and DIP (36%, 13%) compared with Europid women (4%, 3%). In multivariate analysis, maternal T2DM (compared with no hyperglycaemia), BMI during pregnancy, and excess compared with appropriate gestational weight gain, were significantly associated with greater neonatal measures. DIP was associated with greater sum of skinfolds, total body fat, and percentage body fat. Indigenous ethnicity was associated with greater sum of skinfolds.

CONCLUSIONS

Maternal BMI, excess gestational weight gain, and hyperglycaemia operated as independent factors influencing neonatal adiposity. Interventions addressing these factors are needed to reduce neonatal adiposity.

Vitamin D status and the risk of type 2 diabetes: The Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study

AIMS

Inverse associations between vitamin D status and risk of type 2 diabetes observed in epidemiological studies could be biased by confounding and reverse causality. We investigated the prospective association between vitamin D status and type 2 diabetes and the possible role of reverse causality.

METHODS

We conducted a case-cohort study within the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study (MCCS), including a random sample of 628 participants who developed diabetes and a sex-stratified random sample of the cohort (n = 1884). Concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) was measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in samples collected at recruitment. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the risk of type 2 diabetes for quartiles of 25(OH)D relative to the lowest quartile and per 25 nmol/L increase in 25(OH)D, adjusting for confounding variables.

RESULTS

The ORs for the highest versus lowest 25(OH)D quartile and per 25 nmol/L increase in 25(OH)D were 0.60 (95% CI: 0.44, 0.81) and 0.76 (95% CI: 0.63, 0.92; p = 0.004), respectively. In participants who reported being in good/very good/excellent health approximately four years after recruitment, ORs for the highest versus lowest 25(OH)D quartile and per 25 nmol/L increase in 25(OH)D were 0.46 (95% CI: 0.29, 0.72) and 0.71 (95% CI: 0.56, 0.89; p = 0.003), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

In this sample of middle-aged Australians, vitamin D status was inversely associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes, and this association did not appear to be explained by reverse causality.

Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption, correlates and interventions among Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities: a scoping review

OBJECTIVES

Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption in Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is reported to be disproportionally high compared with the general Australian population. This review aimed to scope the literature documenting SSB consumption and interventions to reduce SSB consumption among Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Findings will inform strategies to address SSB consumption in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

METHODS

PubMed, SCOPUS, CINAHL, Informit, Joanna Briggs Institute EBP, Mura databases and grey literature were searched for articles published between January 1980 and June 2018. Studies were included if providing data specific to an Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander population's SSB consumption or an intervention that focused on reducing SSB consumption in this population.

DESIGN

Systematic scoping review.

RESULTS

59 articles were included (1846 screened). While reported SSB consumption was high, there were age-related and community-related differences observed in some studies. Most studies were conducted in remote or rural settings. Implementation of nutrition interventions that included an SSB component has built progressively in remote communities since the 1980s with a growing focus on community-driven, culturally sensitive approaches. More recent studies have focused exclusively on SSB consumption. Key SSB-related intervention elements included incentivising healthier options; reducing availability of less-healthy options; nutrition education; multifaceted or policy implementation (store nutrition or government policy).

CONCLUSIONS

There was a relatively large number of studies reporting data on SSB consumption and/or sales, predominantly from remote and rural settings. During analysis it was subjectively clear that the more impactful studies were those which were community driven or involved extensive community consultation and collaboration. Extracting additional SSB-specific consumption data from an existing nationally representative survey of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people could provide detailed information for demographic subgroups and benchmarks for future interventions. It is recommended that a consistent, culturally appropriate, set of consumption measures be developed.

Cost effectiveness and cost-utility analysis of a group-based diet intervention for treating major depression - the HELFIMED trial

Background/objectives: Major depression has a negative impact on quality of life, increasing the risk of premature death. It imposes social and economic costs on individuals, families and society. Mental illness is now the leading cause globally of disability/lost quality life and premature mortality. Finding cost-effective treatments for depression is a public health priority. We report an economic evaluation of a dietary intervention for treating major depression. Methods: This economic evaluation drew on the HELFIMED RCT, a 3-month group-based Mediterranean-style diet (MedDiet) intervention (including cooking workshops), against a social group-program for people with major depression. We conducted (i) a cost-utility analysis, utility scores measured at baseline, 3-months and 6-months using the AQoL8D, modelled to 2 years (base case); (ii) a cost-effectiveness analysis, differential cost/case of depression resolved (to normal/mild) measured by the DASS. Differential program costs were calculated from resources use costed in AUD2017. QALYs were discounted at 3.5%pa. Results: Best estimate differential cost/QALY gain per person, MedDiet relative to social group was AUD2775. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis, varying costs, utility gain, model period found 95% likelihood cost/QALY less than AUD20,000. Estimated cost per additional case of depression resolved, MedDiet group relative to social group was AUD2,225. Conclusions: A MedDiet group-program for treating major depression was highly cost-effective relative to a social group-program, measured in terms of cost/QALY gain and cost per case of major depression resolved. Supporting access by persons with major depression to group-based dietary programs should be a policy priority. A change to funding will be needed to realise the potential benefits.

Health-Promoting Food Pricing Policies and Decision-Making in Very Remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Stores in Australia

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in remote communities in Australia experience a disproportionate burden of diet-related chronic disease. This occurs in an environment where the cost of store-purchased food is high and cash incomes are low, factors that affect both food insecurity and health outcomes. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander storeowners and the retailers who work with them implement local policies with the aim of improving food affordability and health outcomes. This paper describes health-promoting food pricing policies, their alignment with evidence, and the decision-making processes entailed in their development in community stores across very remote Australia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of retailers and health professionals identified through the snowball method, September 2015 to October 2016. Data were complemented through review of documents describing food pricing policies. A content analysis of the types and design of policies was undertaken, while the decision-making process was considered through a deductive, thematic analysis. Fifteen retailers and 32 health professionals providing services to stores participated. Subsidies and subsidy/price increase combinations dominated. Magnitude of price changes ranged from 5% to 25% on fruit, vegetables, bottled water, artificially sweetened and sugar sweetened carbonated beverages, and broadly used 'healthy/essential' and 'unhealthy' food classifications. Feasibility and sustainability were considered during policy development. Greater consideration of acceptability, importance, effectiveness and unintended consequences of policies guided by evidence were deemed important, as were increased involvement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander storeowners and nutritionists in policy development. A range of locally developed health-promoting food pricing policies exist and partially align with research-evidence. The decision-making processes identified offer an opportunity to incorporate evidence, based on consideration of the local context.

Contribution of cardiometabolic risk factors to estimated glomerular filtration rate decline in Indigenous Australians with and without albuminuria - the eGFR Follow-up Study

AIM

We assessed associations between cardiometabolic risk factors and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline according to baseline albuminuria to identify potential treatment targets in Indigenous Australians.

METHODS

The eGFR Follow-up Study is a longitudinal cohort of 520 Indigenous Australians. Linear regression was used to estimate associations between baseline cardiometabolic risk factors and annual Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration eGFR change (mL/min per 1.73m² /year), among those classified with baseline normoalbuminuria (urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) <3 mg/mmol; n = 297), microalbuminuria (uACR 3-30 mg/mmol; n = 114) and macroalbuminuria (uACR ≥30 mg/mmol; n = 109).

RESULTS

After a median of 3 years follow-up, progressive declines of the age- and sex-adjusted mean eGFR were observed across albuminuria categories (-2.0 [-2.6 to -1.4], -2.5 [-3.7 to -1.3] and -6.3 [-7.8 to -4.9] mL/min per 1.72m² /year). Although a borderline association was observed between greater baseline haemoglobin A_1c and eGFR decline in those with macroalbuminuria (P = 0.059), relationships were not significant in those with microalbuminuria (P = 0.187) or normoalbuminuria (P = 0.23). Greater baseline blood pressure, C-reactive protein, waist-to-hip ratio and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol showed non-significant trends with greater eGFR decline in the presence of albuminuria.

CONCLUSION

Over a 3 year period, marked eGFR decline was observed with greater baseline albuminuria. Cardiometabolic risk factors were not strong predictors for eGFR decline in Indigenous Australians without albuminuria. Longer follow-up may elucidate the role of these predictors and other mechanisms in chronic kidney disease progression in this population.

Improving postpartum screening after diabetes in pregnancy: Results of a pilot study in remote Australia

BACKGROUND

The postpartum period is a critical time to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal women, particularly for those who have chronic conditions.

AIMS

To assess enhanced support methods (for women following diabetes in pregnancy (DIP)) to improve completion rates of recommended postpartum health checks.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fifty-three Aboriginal women in the Northern Territory (NT) were contacted in the postpartum period to encourage medical check-ups. Messages were delivered through phone (call or text messages) or other methods (Facebook or email). The primary outcome was postpartum blood glucose testing (oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT), random or fasting glucose and HbA1c).

RESULTS

Establishing contact with women was difficult. Of 137 messages sent to 52 women, 22 responded (42%). Phone was the most common contact method with successful contact made from 16 of 119 (13%) attempts. Rates of postpartum OGTT completion were higher in the group successfully contacted (32% vs 7%). However, for any postpartum glucose testing (including OGTT and HbA1c) rates were 25 of 42 (60%) and neither success in making contact nor the contact method was associated with higher rates.

CONCLUSIONS

The small sample size limits our conclusions; however, results highlight that engaging remote women postpartum is difficult. While rates of postpartum OGTT completion differed according to successful contacts, rates of any postpartum blood glucose testing did not. Further research is needed to explore feasible intervention methods to improve postpartum screening after a pregnancy complicated by diabetes.