Foreign- and Swedish-born diabetic patients — a population-based study of prevalence, glycaemic control and social position

In this study foreign- and Swedish-born individuals with diabetes mellitus were compared regarding prevalence and characteristics. In a Swedish county 1,568 patients aged 20-64 years were identified, of whom 97.4% were included (143 foreign- and 1,384 Swedish-born) in the study of medical records. There was no difference in prevalence of diabetes (1.4% (95% CI 1.2-1.7%) vs 1.5% (95% CI 1.4-1.6%) but diagnosis at or after the age of 30 years was more common in foreign-born patients (p < 0.001). They were also less often treated with insulin (p < 0.001), had shorter duration of diabetes (p < 0.001), were more often classified as having a low social position in Sweden (p < 0.001) and less often controlled in specialized diabetes care departments (p < 0.001, 18% vs 43%). There was a higher occurrence of albuminuria among foreign-born women (p < 0.05). No differences were found in glycaemic control, but low social position was related to poor glycaemic control independent of being foreign- or Swedish-born, and it seems to be more important than place of birth.