Szabolcs Lovas: Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 26 Kassai Street, 4028 Debrecen, Hungary. ORCID
Nour Mahrouseh: Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 26 Kassai Street, 4028 Debrecen, Hungary. ORCID
Olaniyan Simisola Bolaji: Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary.
Noel Johny Nellamkuzhi: Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary.
Carlos Alexandre Soares Andrade: Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 26 Kassai Street, 4028 Debrecen, Hungary. ORCID
Diana Wangeshi Njuguna: Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 26 Kassai Street, 4028 Debrecen, Hungary. ORCID
Orsolya Varga: Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 26 Kassai Street, 4028 Debrecen, Hungary. ORCID
Since healthy eating and physically active lifestyles can reduce diabetes mellitus (DM) risk, these are often addressed by population-based interventions aiming to prevent DM. Our study examined the impact of nutritional and physical activity policies, national diabetes plans and national diabetes registers contribute to lower prevalence of DM in individuals in the member states of the European Union (EU), taking into account the demographic and socioeconomic status as well as lifestyle choices. Datasets on policy actions, plans and registers were retrieved from the World Cancer Research Fund International's NOURISHING and MOVING policy databases and the European Coalition for Diabetes report. Individual-based data on DM, socioeconomic status and healthy behavior indicators were obtained via the European Health Interview Survey, 2014. Our results showed variation in types and numbers of implemented policies within the member states, additionally, the higher number of these actions were not associated with lower DM prevalence. Only weak correlation between the prevalence of DM and preventive policies was found. Thus, undoubtedly policies have an impact on reducing the prevalence of DM, its increasing burden could not be reversed which underlines the need for applying a network of preventive policies.
