title: [Prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus in Southern Brazil: a population-based study].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus among the adult population of an urban area, according to self-reported diabetes and fasting glucose test results.
  
  
  METHODS
  We carried out a population-based cross-sectional study of 1,968 subjects aged 20-69 years, living in the urban area of the city of Pelotas, Southern Brazil, in the year 2000. Sample size was calculated at 1,800 subjects. We visited the households of 40 randomly selected census sectors. We administered a standardized questionnaire to all subjects, which included questions on the presence of "blood sugar" and on medical confirmation in case of positive responses. A subsample of 367 participants was selected to donate blood samples for laboratory tests, including fasting blood glucose. We adopted as cutoff points for the detection of diabetes levels of 126 mg/dl and 140 mg/dl. Results are shown as frequencies and their respective 95% confidence intervals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the subjects interviewed, 110 (5.6%; 95% CI: 4.6-6.6) referred the presence of Diabetes Mellitus diagnosed by a physician. In the subsample of 367 subjects who underwent blood testing, the prevalence of self-referred, physician-confirmed diabetes mellitus was 7.1% (95% CI: 4.5-9.7).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence estimates found in the present study are compatible with those obtained in other national surveys. Population-based studies are rare Brazil, and may contribute to the planning of health care policies.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde Coletiva, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, São Leopoldo, RS, Brasil. jcosta@epidemio-ufpel.org.br
authors.forename: Juvenal Soares Dias
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: da Costa
authors.forename: Maria Teresa Anselmo
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Olinto
authors.forename: Maria Cecília Formoso
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Assunção
authors.forename: Denise Petrucci
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Gigante
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Macedo
authors.forename: Ana Maria Baptista
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Menezes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population