Frequency of diabetes in family members of probands with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the prevalence of known diabetes in a multi-ethnic community in South Auckland, New Zealand, in relation to family history of diabetes and past history of diabetes in pregnancy.


METHODS
A cross-sectional, household survey comparing ascertainment with local general practice diabetes registers where they existed.


METHODS
An inner-city community with a high proportion of Maori, Pacific Islands people and Europeans.


METHODS
A total of 55,518 residents (91% response). Comparison with diabetes registers showed 91% ascertainment of known diabetic residents. More detailed interviews with 176/214 (82%) Europeans, 286/336 (85%) Maori and 495/585 (85%) Pacific Islands people with known diabetes. Fifty subjects had insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus on clinical criteria and were excluded from analyses.


METHODS
Prevalence of diabetes.


RESULTS
Those with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus were more likely to have a diabetic mother than father (Europeans, 21.7% vs. 9.9%; Maori, 17.6 vs. 11.4%; Pacific Islands, 15.7 vs. 5.3%). Diabetic women had a similar likelihood of having a diabetic father as diabetic men but were 1.84 times as likely to have a diabetic mother (95% CI, 1.27-2.69). Diabetic women with past diabetes in pregnancy had 2.05 (95% CI, 1.01-4.15) times the chance of a diabetic offspring as women who had not had past diabetes in pregnancy, who in turn had 2.69 (95% CI, 1.17-6.18) times the likelihood of having a diabetic offspring as diabetic men.


CONCLUSIONS
The mother is a more important conduit for inheritance of diabetes than the father in these three ethnic groups. A history of diabetes in pregnancy confers an extra risk to the offspring above this usual maternal excess.
Simmons
D
D
Division of Clinical Science, Middlemore Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand.
Gatland
B A
BA
Leakehe
L
L
Fleming
C
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D005060:Europe; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D010139:Pacific Islands; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D012042:Registries; D014504:Urban Health