The prevalence of type 2 diabetes and prediabetes among armed forces personnel: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Previous studies of diabetes among armed forces personnel did not assess a comprehensive disease prevalence. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and prediabetes among military personnel and police officers. Methods: : We carried out a systematic search on electronic databases from January 2000 to July 2020. All studies with a report of the prevalence of diabetes and/or prediabetes among armed forces personnel were selected. The Cochran test and I 2 statistics were used to determine the heterogeneity of the studies. Random- or fixed-effects model, along with subgroup analysis on diabetes or prediabetes as well as the component of armed forces, was carried out to determine the overall prevalence. All analyses were conducted using STATA software. Results: : Among 858 citations, 30 studies were entered into the meta-analysis, involving 1879170 individuals. The meta-analysis estimated the prevalence of type 2 diabetes among the military personnel (9.15%; 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 5.35-12.96) and police officers (9.58%; CI: 5.98-13.18). The overall prevalence of prediabetes among the military personnel and the police officers were 7.32% (CI: 4.22-10.42) and 6.35% (CI: 5.26-7.44), respectively. Conclusion: The prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes among armed forces was consistent with global reports among the general population. These results will inform policy-makers and healthcare providers to find solutions and help to take action to reduce diabetes risk factors on a wider scale, particularly among armed forces personnel.