Persistent sex differences in diabetes management (1997-2022): 25 years of national evidence from the Swiss Health Survey.

Abstract

To evaluate sex-specific trends in diabetes management in Switzerland over a 25-year period using nationally representative data, and to determine whether menopausal status modifies these differences. We analyzed six Swiss Health Surveys (1997-2022) to assess sex differences in diabetes screening, diagnosis, treatment, and control. Multivariable logistic regressions were adjusted for demographic, socioeconomic, and lifestyle covariates. Age-stratified analyses explored life-stage-specific patterns, using age > 50 as a proxy for menopausal status. A total of 80,133 participants (54.5 % female) were included. After multivariable adjustment, females showed a higher likelihood of recent diabetes screening than males across all survey years (e.g., OR 1.20, 95 % CI 1.12-1.28 in 2022), with no evidence of narrowing over time. Conversely, females had a consistently lower likelihood of being diagnosed with diabetes (e.g., OR 0.71, 95 % CI 0.63-0.81 in 2022) and of being treated once diagnosed (e.g., OR 0.56, 95 % CI 0.40-0.80 in 2022), with no temporal improvement. No significant sex differences in diabetes control were observed among those treated. Age-stratified analyses revealed that sex disparities varied by age, potentially reflecting that life-stage-related factors may contribute to the observed disparities. This study highlights persistent, age-modulated sex differences in diabetes management over two decades in Switzerland. While diabetes control was similar between sexes once treatment was initiated, inequities in screening, diagnosis, and treatment remain.