Association of serum calcium level with body mass index among type 2 diabetes patients in Palestine

Background: Abdominal obesity is linked to many metabolic changes in type 2 diabetes. Objective: The overall aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of obesity according to Body Mass Index (BMI) and the associated factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out at private health care center. A total of 291 diabetic patients aged 18 years and above with type 2 diabetes mellitus who attended the clinic from May 2017 through February 2018 were included. Socio-demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were obtained from the medical records of patients. Statistical analysis was carried out using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, version 23). BMI was calculated as the weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared (kg/m2). BMI was categorized into normal weight (<25 kg/m2), Overweight (25–29.9 kg/m2) and Obese (≥30 kg/m2). Results: A total number of 291 participated in the study. Among these participants 42.6% (n = 124) were male and 57.4% (n = 167) were female. The average age of respondents was 55.99 ± 9.81. In this study, 234 participants (80.4%) (95% CI: 75.8%–85%) were overweight/obese. The results of statistical modeling showed that age, smoking status, physical activity, taking Metformin and serum calcium are strong determinants of overweight/obesity. Conclusion: Current study revealed significant association of overweight/obesity and serum calcium among patients with diabetes.