# Association of Dietary Patterns with Incident Type 2 Diabetes Among Migrant and Nonmigrant Ghanaian Populations in the Prospective Research on Obesity and Diabetes in African Migrants (RODAM-Pros) Study

## TL;DR

This study found that eating more animal-based foods is linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes in Ghanaians, especially women.

## Contribution

The study identifies a novel association between animal-based dietary patterns and increased T2D risk in African populations.

## Key findings

- Higher adherence to an animal dietary pattern was associated with increased T2D risk (IRR 2.72-3.33).
- The association was stronger in females (IRR 6.76).
- Roots and tubers dietary pattern showed lower T2D risk, though not statistically significant.

## Abstract

Limited longitudinal knowledge exists between dietary patterns (DPs) in Africans and the incidence of type 2 diabetes (T2D).

We investigated the association between 3 prevalent DPs among Ghanaians and incident T2D across geographical contexts

One thousand three hundred and fifty-three participants from the prospective Research on Obesity and Diabetes in African Migrants study were followed up for a median duration of 6.7 (6.4, 6.9) y. Three previously established DPs from our baseline data (i.e., “mixed pattern,” “animal pattern,” and “roots and tubers pattern”) were used, and T2D incidence was determined based on World Health Organization criteria. Poisson regression models were used to analyze the associations between terciles of these DPs and incident T2D at follow-up among the entire population, by geographical context, and by sex, accounting for important covariates.

The study revealed a significant association between the “animal DP” and incident T2D among the total population compared to the lower tercile of intake [incidence rate ratio (IRR) was 2.72; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.18, 6.28 in the upper tercile and 3.33; 95% CI: 1.55, 7.17 in the middle tercile]. However, when disaggregated by study site (rural Ghana, urban Ghana, and Amsterdam), these associations did not reach statistical significance, likely due to reduced statistical power in the stratified analyses. There was significant interaction between animal DP and sex, with increased risks among females (IRR: 6.76; 95% CI: 1.36, 39.5). Also, a higher intake of root, tubers, and plantain DP tercile was associated with a lower risk of T2D, although not statistically significant.

We observed a positive association between adherence to an animal DP and the incidence of T2D, particularly among females. Dietary modifications toward a lesser consumption of an animal-pattern diet may reduce risk of T2D at the population level.