East Africans in Sweden have a high risk for type 1 diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence of type 1 diabetes in children with an origin in Sub-Saharan Africa in Sweden.


METHODS
Nationwide register study based on retrieved prescriptions of insulin during 2009 in children aged 0-18 years. The study population consisted of 35,756 children in families with an origin in Sub-Saharan Africa and 1,666,051 children with native Swedish parents.


RESULTS
The odds ratio (OR) for insulin medication in Swedish-born children in families originating in East Africa was 1.29 (95% CI 1.02-1.63) compared with offspring of native Swedish parents, after adjustment for age and sex, and less common in children who themselves were born in East Africa: 0.50 (0.34-0.73). Offspring of parents from other parts of Sub-Saharan Africa had a comparatively low risk for insulin medication.


CONCLUSIONS
This study indicates that Swedish-born children with an origin in East Africa have a high risk of type 1 diabetes.
Centre for Health Equity Studies, Karolinska Institutet/Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden. anders.hjern@chess.su.se
Anders
A
Hjern
Ulf
U
Söderström
Jan
J
Åman
D000293:Adolescent; D044383:Black People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology