[Insulin-dependent juvenile diabetes. Descriptive study in the Rhône Department]

A systematic study of juvenile onset diabetes cases observed in the Rhône department between 1960 and 1979 indicates an annual incidence of 4.7/10(5) children from 0 to 15 years of age. This incidence is lower than that which has been reported for Great Britain and some Scandinavian countries. There was a surprisingly high incidence among immigrant children from North Africa (10.2/10(5) children) and also in some urban areas (middle-sized cities and the southeast suburb of Lyon). Farmers' children seem more often affected than others. The seasonal trend cited in earlier studies was also noted here for children between 5 and 15 years of age. These findings are compatible with the concept that environmental factors play some role in the onset of juvenile diabetes.