Increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Maru Raika community of Rajasthan: a cross-sectional study

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder affecting increasing numbers of the global population. Understanding dietary and lifestyle factors that influence the risk of DM will allow us to develop better management strategies for this disease. Here, we aimed to assess the prevalence of PDM in the Raika pastoralist community of Rajasthan, India. This indigenous group has previously shown a 0% prevalence of DM, but we aimed to assess current prevalence due to various lifestyle changes within the community. Three hundred fifteen adult Raika community members from different villages of the Jodhpur, Pali, and Sirohi districts of Rajasthan with no previous diagnosis of DM were selected for participation. Demographic and clinical profiles were obtained. Fasting glucose (FG) and glucose tolerance (GT) tests were performed to diagnose prediabetes (PDM) and DM. Data was assessed using logistic regression in Stata/IC 14. We found prevalence of PDM and DM in the Raika community to be 15.87 and 1.27%, respectively. In the Maru Raika subcaste, we found significantly increased BMI (20.39 kg/m² vs 20.26%, p = 0.002) and PDM prevalence (19.05 kg/m² vs 11.73%, p = 0.038, respectively) when compared to the Godwar Raika subcaste. PDM prevalence has significantly increased in the Raika camel-herding community, and demographic, dietary, and lifestyle changes in the traditional Raika camel herders may affect DM prevalence within this rural community.