Grant: Doctoral: Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships

Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT, also called pre-diabetes) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) are growing public health concerns in rural India. Although many factors contribute to the epidemiology of IGT and T2D, a principal component is diet. The rural Indian population has undergone a nutrition transition in the past three decades, characterized by decreased consumption of coarse cereals, as well as increased consumption of white rice, wheat, fats, and refined sugars. Few studies have examined the effects of this nutrition transition on non-communicable diseases amongst marginalized populations in rural India. The proposed research will examine the relationship between diet composition and IGT/T2D in the villages of Anchetty and Peraiyur, Tamil Nadu. A cross-sectional study will be used to determine prevalence of IGT and T2D in each site and to identify leading risk factors. Results will be disseminated with maximum benefit to individuals affected by the diabetes epidemic via participatory workshops, policy recommendations, and NGO programming. We hypothesize that refined grain consumption contributes to increased prevalence rates of IGT and T2D, and that small millets have the potential to lessen this burden if made financially accessible to poor and marginalized populations. The development of a novel prevention/management plan for IGT and T2D will improve the quality of life for thousands of rural Indians.