title: Diabetes incidence in 0- to 14-year age-group in Italy: a 10-year prospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The Registry for Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in Italy (RIDI) Study Group was established to coordinate the registries of type 1 diabetes in Italy. This report is based on 3,606 children younger than 15 years diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and prospectively registered during 1990-1999 by nine centers, covering >35% of the Italian population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Registries were pooled in four geographic macro-areas: north, central, south, and insular. The completeness of registration was assessed by the capture-recapture method. Poisson regression analysis was used to evaluate temporal trend in incidence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Large variations in incidence were confirmed not only between Sardegna and the mainland but also among peninsular areas. In Sardegna, there was an excess of boys (the boy-to-girl incidence ratio was 1.4). The overall incidence showed average increases of 3.6% (P <0.001) and 3.7% (P <0.001) per year in peninsular Italy and in Sardegna, respectively. Significant increases in incidence rates were found in boys aged 10-14 years (6.7%, 95% CI 0.5-13.3) and in girls aged 5-9 years (6.6%, 0.5-13.1) living in the southern area. The incidence rate also increased in boys aged 10-14 years (5.0%, 0.3-10) and in girls aged 0-4 years (4.9%, 0.8-9.1) living in Sardegna.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Italy is a country with large geographical variations in incidence rates of type 1 diabetes. However, the rates are evenly increasing both in the mainland and Sardegna, suggesting that similar environmental factors are operating over populations that have different genetic backgrounds.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Polytechnic University of Marche Via Corridoni, 11 I-60123 Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: Flavia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carle
authors.forename: Rosaria
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gesuita
authors.forename: Graziella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.forename: Giovanni V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Coppa
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Falorni
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lorini
authors.forename: Marco E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Martinucci
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pozzilli
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Prisco
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Songini
authors.forename: Maria T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Tenconi
authors.forename: Valentino
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cherubini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003710:Demography; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012042:Registries; D012727:Sex Characteristics