Department of Community Health and Gerontological Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, Izumo, Shimane 693-8501, Japan.
Department of Functional Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, Izumo, Shimane 693-8501, Japan.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jan 28;18(3):1147. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18031147.
It has been shown that the socio-geographical environment of residential areas, such as altitude, affects the health status and health-maintenance behavior of residents. Here, we examined a hypothesis that altitude of residence would influence glycemic control in a general elderly population living in a rural area.
A thousand and sixteen participants living in a mountainous region in Japan were recruited at health examinations. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was measured in serum as a parameter of glycemic control. The altitude of residence, distance to grocery stores and to medical facilities were estimated using a geographic information system.
Linear regression analysis confirmed a significant effect of the altitude on log HbA1c even after adjustment of other demographic and biochemical factors. When the distance to grocery stores or medical facilities were used instead of the altitude in a linear regression analysis, distance to secondary medical facilities alone showed a significant effect on HbA1c.
We found a positive correlation between HbA1c level and residential altitude in a rural area of Japan. The altitude seemed to be a parameter substituting the inconvenicence of residential areas. Socio-geographical factors of living place, such as inconvenience, may influence glycemic control of the residents.
已有研究表明，居民区的社会地理环境（如海拔高度）会影响居民的健康状况和维持健康的行为。在这里，我们检验了一个假设，即居住地的海拔高度会影响居住在农村地区的一般老年人群的血糖控制。
在日本山区的健康检查中，我们招募了 1016 名参与者。血清中的血红蛋白 A1c（HbA1c）被用作血糖控制的参数。使用地理信息系统估计居住地的海拔高度、到杂货店和医疗机构的距离。
线性回归分析证实，即使在调整了其他人口统计学和生化因素后，海拔高度对 log HbA1c 仍有显著影响。当在线性回归分析中用杂货店或医疗机构的距离代替海拔高度时，只有二级医疗机构的距离对 HbA1c 有显著影响。
我们在日本农村地区发现了 HbA1c 水平与居住地海拔之间的正相关关系。海拔似乎是居住地不便的一个替代参数。居住地点的社会地理因素（如不便性）可能会影响居民的血糖控制。
