Urinary inorganic arsenic concentration and gestational diabetes mellitus in pregnant women from Arica, Chile

Abstract

© 2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Introduction: The association of total arsenic exposure with impaired glucose tolerance and gestational diabetes has been shown; however, evidence regarding urinary inorganic arsenic in pregnant women is still limited. Our aim was to evaluate the association between urinary inorganic arsenic concentration and gestational diabetes among pregnant women living in Arica, Chile. Methods: Cross-sectional study of pregnant women receiving care at primary health centers in urban Arica. The exposure was urinary inorganic arsenic concentration, while gestational diabetes was the outcome. The association was evaluated using multiple logistic regression models adjusted by age, education level, ethnicity, and pre-pregnancy body mass index. Results: 244 pregnant women were surveyed. The median urinary inorganic arsenic was 14.95 µg/L, and the prevalence of gestational diabetes was 8.6%. After adjusting, we did not find a significant associati