Disparities in adherence to diabetes screening guidelines among males and females in a universal care setting: A population-based study of 1,380,697 adults

BACKGROUND: National guidelines recommend that all adults over the age of 40 years undergo screening for diabetes at least once every 3-years. We examined the adherence to these guidelines among males and females after accounting for age, urban/rural residence, and material deprivation. We also examined the incidence of prediabetes and diabetes in adherent and non-adherent individuals. METHODS: Our study is based on a retrospective population-level inception cohort of adults aged 40–79 years without pre-existing diabetes or cardiovascular disease on April 1, 2013. Adherence during a 3-year screening period (2013–2016) and prediabetes and diabetes during a 4-year follow-up period were examined. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the adjusted association between sex and adherence. FINDINGS: Among 1,380,697 individuals (49·2% male, 50·8% female) adherence rates were 69·9% in males and 79·8% in females. Sex-differences in adherence were largest in younger individuals (58·0% and 72·6% and in males and females aged 40–44 years, respectively) and consistent across rural/urban residence and material deprivation. Females were more adherent (adjusted odds ratio 1·92; 95% confidence interval 1·89 to 1·95) than males. Prediabetes and diabetes rates among individuals who adhered to screening guidelines were 15·7% and 2·6% among males and 13·4% and 1·5% among females. During the follow-up period, an additional 3·2% and 1·9% of adherent males and females had diabetes. Incidence rates of prediabetes and diabetes during the follow-up period among individuals who did not adhere to screening guidelines were 8·8% and 2·1% among males and 7·3% and 1·3% among females. INTERPRETATION: Adherence to diabetes screening guidelines is sub-optimal, especially among young males. Despite lower rates of adherence to screening, males have higher rates of prediabetes and diabetes compared to females. There is a need for education campaigns to improve diabetes screening rates in young adults, especially males. FUNDING: This study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Sex and Gender Science Chair (Recipient: Kaul).