Ethnic disparities in diabetes prevalence among adults in Oslo: the Oslo Public Health Survey 2024

Abstract Background Diabetes is a growing public health concern globally, with increasing evidence of ethnic disparities in its prevalence. Identifying these disparities is crucial to developing effective and equitable prevention strategies. This study aims to investigate diabetes prevalence among different immigrant groups in Oslo, Norway. Methods The Oslo Public Health Survey was conducted from the 4th of November to the 16th of December 2024, using a web-based questionnaire. The survey used a stratified sample consisting of 161,756 residents aged 18 years old and above. Oversampling of young adults and various immigrant groups was employed to ensure adequate representation. In total, 45,480 individuals consented to participate, resulting in a response rate of 28.1%. About half of the respondents (n = 22,616) were asked about current and previous diabetes. The presented data was weighted and further adjusted for age and gender to account for sampling bias and demographic differences. Results The overall prevalence of diabetes was 4.7% (95% CI: 4.4-5.0). Prevalence among those born in Norway was 3.5% (95% CI: 3.2-3.8). A higher prevalence was observed among individuals born in Asia (11.3%, 95% CI: 10.0-12.6) and Africa (11.4%, 95% CI: 9.2-13.6). The prevalence was 5.8% (95% CI: 3.8-7.8) for those born in the Americas and Oceania, and 4.0% (95% CI: 3.4-4.7) for those from other parts of Europe. The prevalence of diabetes in selected countries reached 17.1% (95% CI: 13.5-20.6) in individuals born in Pakistan and 14.7% (95% CI: 10.8-18.6) in those born in Somalia. Conclusions This study reveals substantial ethnic differences in the prevalence of diabetes among adults living in Oslo. These findings highlight the need for culturally tailored prevention strategies to address the unequal burden of diabetes across immigrant groups. Further research needs to explore the underlying causes of these disparities. Key messages • Ethnic disparities in diabetes exist among adults in Oslo, with more than triple the prevalence among certain immigrant groups. • Culturally tailored public health strategies are needed to reduce diabetes disparities.