Type 2 diabetes is an increasing problem in the United States. African-American women have a particularly high rate of developing type 2 diabetes. The strongest predictive factor for diabetes is weight gain: women who become overweight or obese have a greatly increased risk. Since losing weight and maintaining weight are difficult, we have planned a series of analyses of Black Women’s Health Study (BWHS) data to identify other more easily modifiable factors that may reduce risk with or without weight loss. We will investigate a number of dietary factors, including glycemic index of the diet, calcium and magnesium intake, consumption of soft drinks, coffee consumption, and general characteristics of the usual diet. We will also investigate the role of physical activity by quantifying relative risks for various levels of vigorous physical activity, walking for exercise, and number of hours spent watching television.

Investigators:

Julie R. Palmer, ScD, Principal Investigator
Slone Epidemiology Center

Lynn Rosenberg, ScD, Co-Investigator
Slone Epidemiology Center

Frank Hu, ScD, Co-Investigator
Harvard School of Public Health

Source of funding:

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Study Period:

2005 – present

Publications:

Link to PPL