Epidemiology of IDDM in southern Chinese children in Hong Kong.
OBJECTIVE
To provide reliable data on the incidence of IDDM in southern Chinese children in Hong Kong.


METHODS
A registry was established in 1991 to collect childhood IDDM cases retrospectively and prospectively from four districts in Hong Kong. The study included all newly diagnosed cases of IDDM with onset < 15 yr of age from 1 January 1986 to 31 December 1990. Primary ascertainment was based on review of medical records at a regional hospital serving the four districts. An independent school survey validated registry data.


RESULTS
The completeness of ascertainment was 93.8%. The age-standardized incidence of IDDM was 2.0/100,000/yr with the 95% confidence interval of 1.2-3.0/100,000/yr for children < 15 yr of age during the study period. The incidence rates/100,000/yr for the three age-groups were: < or = 4 yr, 0.8; 5-9 yr, 2.2; 10-14 yr, 2.8. The incidence for males was 1.5/100,000/yr (95% confidence interval 0.7-2.9/100,000/yr) and for females, 2.4/100,000/yr (95% confidence interval 1.3-4.0/100,000/yr).


CONCLUSIONS
This study documents a very low incidence rate of childhood IDDM in southern Chinese in Hong Kong.
Wong
G W
GW
Department of Pediatrics, Prince of Wales Hospital, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T.
Leung
S S
SS
Oppenheimer
S J
SJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012042:Registries; D012737:Sex Factors