Household income modifies the association between social capital and gestational diabetes mellitus in Japan: Results from TMM BirThree Cohort Study.

Abstract

Introduction: While social capital can prevent diabetes, these benefits can be heterogeneous with respect to socioeconomic status. We investigated the association between social capital and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) while examining effect modification by household income.

Materials and methods: We conducted a secondary data analysis using the Tohoku Medical Megabank Project Birth and Three-Generation Cohort Study carried out between July 2013 and March 2017. Social capital (mutual aid, social trust, informal social control, collective action) and covariates were self-reported, while GDM diagnosis and other medical and physiological information were obtained from medical records. To assess the association between social capital and GDM, we conducted logistic regression models. We further tested for interactions between social capital and household income as well as stratified the models by income.

Results: Among 20,339 study participants, 700 (3.4%) were diagnosed with GDM. Multivariable logistic regression models found that social trust and collective action were associated with lower GDM prevalence, even after adjustment of covariates. When stratifying household income, however, social capital was significantly associated with the reduced risks of GDM only among participants with higher household income (OR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.85-0.97). No significant association was observed among those with lower household income.

Conclusions: The health benefit of social capital on GDM prevalence was heterogeneous, and the protective effect of social capital on GDM was found only among women with higher household income. The differential impact of social capital on GDM highlights the need for targeted interventions addressing structural health inequities.