Incidence and prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the First Nation community of Kahnawá:ke, Quebec, Canada, 1986-2003.
BACKGROUND
Type 2 diabetes is an increasing global health concern, most notably for Aboriginal peoples living in Canada among whom prevalence rates are 3 to 5 times those of the general population. The objective of this study is to determine the incidence and prevalence of type 2 diabetes among adults living in a First Nation community from 1986 to 2003.


METHODS
Kahnawá:ke is a Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) community in Quebec, Canada. Numerators for incident and prevalent cases were derived from the community hospital Diabetes Registry. Denominators were derived from population distributions provided to Kahnawá:ke by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. Rates were standardized to 2000/01 Canadian population.


RESULTS
From 1986-88 to 2001-03, incidence rates per 1000 for those 18 years and over decreased from 8.8 to 7.0 in males, and 8.8 to 5.2 in females. Prevalence rates increased from 6.0% to 8.4% in males and 6.4% to 7.1% in females. The prevalence rate among Kahnawá:ke men aged 45-64 years was 14%, twice the corresponding rate among Canadian men. Male to female ratios for both incidence and prevalence rates were above 1.0.


CONCLUSIONS
Kahnawá:ke incidence rates are much lower than those of First Nation peoples of Manitoba. Kahnawá:ke prevalence rates are midway between national Aboriginal and general Canadian populations. Kahnawá:ke incidence rates and gender ratios are closer to those of the Canadian population. The results highlight the variations of type 2 diabetes between individual communities, and may reflect Kahnawá:ke's socio-economic status, ongoing diabetes education, clinical care and diabetes primary prevention efforts.
Horn
Ojistoh Kahnawahere
OK
Kahnawá:ke Schools Diabetes Prevention Project, Mohawk Nation, Kahnawá:ke Territory, QC, Canada. ojistoh@hotmail.com
Jacobs-Whyte
Heather
H
Ing
Amy
A
Bruegl
Amanda
A
Paradis
Gilles
G
Macaulay
Ann C
AC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D044382:Population Groups; D015995:Prevalence; D011322:Primary Prevention; D011634:Public Health; D011792:Quebec / Q000453:epidemiology; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012923:Social Class; D055815:Young Adult