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Association between tendency to overeat and the incidence of prediabetes: Aichi Workers’ Cohort Study

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Evidence regarding the association between the tendency to overeat and prediabetes or diabetes is still limited. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between the tendency to overeat and the incidence of prediabetes among young and middle-aged Japanese working population. METHODS: The baseline survey was conducted among 2886 local government workers, aged 20-65 in central Japan in 2013. Participants were asked, "Do you tend to overeat?" and self-reported as either "Yes" or "No" in the survey. Prediabetes was defined as fasting blood glucose ≥100 mg/dL, or participants starting diabetes medication or having reported a new history of diabetes until 2018. Cox model was used to obtain hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) adjusted for socio-demographic, lifestyle and baseline metabolic factors. RESULTS: During a mean follow-up period of 4.2 years, 541 prediabetes incidences were reported. The tendency to overeat, compared to not overeating, was associated with a significantly higher incidence of prediabetes (HR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.09-1.62). This association was similar in both sexes but was attenuated in females (male: HR; 1.32; 95% CI, 1.06-1.64; females: HR 1.38; 95% CI, 0.86-2.23) in model 2. CONCLUSION: Tendency to overeat was significantly associated with the increased incidence of prediabetes in young and middle-aged Japanese workers. Therefore, targeted screening for this might contribute to effective prevention strategies for reducing incidence of prediabetes among this population.

Source: Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine

DOI: 10.1265/ehpm.26-00084