The role of education composition in shaping the burden of obesity and diabetes in Indonesia: a microsimulation-based projection study

Abstract Background Diabetes prevalence is increasing worldwide, particularly in developing countries and disadvantaged groups. Alongside this phenomenon, the expansion of educational attainment has led to changes in population educational composition, which can significantly influence social dispar...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Lilipramawanty K. Liwin, Tianyu Shen, Collin F. Payne
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-06-01
Series:Population Health Metrics
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12963-025-00372-2
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Summary:Abstract Background Diabetes prevalence is increasing worldwide, particularly in developing countries and disadvantaged groups. Alongside this phenomenon, the expansion of educational attainment has led to changes in population educational composition, which can significantly influence social disparities in diabetes and its risk factors, including obesity. This paper explores the role of changing educational composition in shaping the future burden of excess body weight and diabetes in Indonesia, a country with a rapidly growing prevalence of both diabetes and obesity. Methods We utilise three data sources as the inputs for our projection model. Panel data from the Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS) for 2007 and 2014 were used to compute health transition probabilities by age, sex, and education status using a multinomial logit model. Results from a dried blood test were used to adjust for undiagnosed diabetes in the projection model. The Indonesian National Health Surveys (Riskesdas) in 2007, 2013, and 2018 were used to estimate the prevalence of excess body weight and diabetes by age, sex, and education. Finally, we used projections of Indonesia’s population size and composition by age, sex and education level for the period 2010 to 2060 from the Wittgenstein Centre Human Capital Data Explorer version WIC2018 v2. We employ a cohort component model with microsimulation to project the population forward. Results The estimated prevalence of diabetes from our projection model incorporating population education composition is 7.8% in 2010 and is expected to reach 16.7% by 2060. The most rapid increase in prevalence (14% growth in 50 years) is estimated among people with primary education, while other groups show smaller rises. Conclusion Incorporating population educational composition into projections of the burden of excess body weight and diabetes provides valuable insights into social disparities in diabetes over time. This can inform policy decisions by helping to prioritise healthcare budgets, targeted disease prevention programs, and diabetes treatment for high-risk groups based on educational status.
ISSN:1478-7954