Work

Associations of Stressful Life Events With Diabetes Incidence in China: Insights From the China Kadoorie Biobank

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Limited empirical evidence exists on the link between exposure to various stressful life events (SLEs) and the heightened risk of Diabetes Mellitus (DM) within the mainland Chinese population. METHODS: We conducted this prospective cohort study with 455,464 participants from the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB); we examined associations between SLEs exposures and DM outcomes. We employed multivariable Cox proportional hazards models to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: Over a median follow-up of 10.1 years, 14,218 DM cases were identified. A dose-response relationship was observed between the number of SLEs, personal-related events, and the risk of DM. The higher the number of SLEs experienced, the higher the risk of developing diabetes (HR = 1.06, 95% CI = 1.01-1.12); individuals who experienced personal-related events had a higher risk of developing DM (HR = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.01-1.36), and those who experienced marital separation/divorce had a 53% increased risk of DM (HR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.12-2.09). Subgroup analyses revealed effect modifications based on birth cohort, sex, and area. CONCLUSION: By exploring the association of multiple SLEs with the development of DM, we identified marital separation/divorce as a driver of increased DM risk.

Source: Journal of Diabetes

DOI: 10.1111/1753-0407.70149