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High incidence of IDDM over 6 years in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
1Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. Ellen.Toth@Ualberta.ca
Insights
The incidence of type 1 diabetes in children aged 0-14 in Edmonton, Alberta, was studied between 1990-1995. Rates among European-derived children were the highest reported in North America for a 6-year period.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Pediatrics
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Type 1 diabetes (T1D), also known as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), is a chronic condition affecting children.
- Understanding the incidence of IDDM is crucial for public health planning and resource allocation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the population-based incidence of IDDM in children aged 0-14 years in Edmonton, Alberta, from 1990 to 1995.
- To compare these incidence rates with other North American and global data.
Main Methods:
- A population-based registry was utilized to identify children diagnosed with IDDM between 1990 and 1995.
- Case ascertainment employed WHO Multinational Project for Childhood Diabetes criteria, using pediatrician/endocrinologist records and hospital inpatient data.
Main Results:
- A total of 211 IDDM cases in children under 15 were identified, predominantly of European ancestry.
- The ascertainment-corrected incidence rate for European-derived children (77% of the population) ranged from 22.0 to 38.6 per 100,000 annually.
- The 6-year age-adjusted incidence rate was 25.7 per 100,000, with no observed sex difference. Higher incidence was noted in the 10-14 age group and during the first quarter of the year.
Conclusions:
- The incidence of IDDM in Edmonton's European-derived pediatric population (1990-1995) represents the highest 6-year rate reported in North America.
- These findings are comparable to high-incidence areas globally, highlighting the region's significant burden of childhood T1D.
Objective:
To determine the incidence of IDDM among children 0-14 years of age in Edmonton, Alberta, between 1990 and 1995 by means of a population-based registry.
Research Design And Methods:
Children < 15 years of age diagnosed with IDDM between January 1990 and December 1995 were registered according to criteria of the World Health Organization (WHO) Multinational Project for Childhood Diabetes. The primary source of case ascertainment consisted of office records of pediatricians and endocrinologists. The secondary source consisted of inpatient records from the main city hospitals.
Results:
Between 1990 and 1995, 211 IDDM patients < 15 years of age were detected by the two sources. All but 15 of them were of European ancestry. The ascertainment-corrected incidence rates of this ethnic group (constituting 77% of the population) for the 6 years were 38.6, 23.5, 23.3, 24.2, 22.0, and 24.3 per 100,000, respectively, with case ascertainment rates of 75-95%. The age-adjusted rate over the 6-year period was 25.7 per 100,000 with a case ascertainment rate of 84.3%. No sex difference was observed. The highest incidence occurred in the 10- to 14-year-old age-group, and more cases were detected between January and March than at other periods in the year.
Conclusions:
The incidence of IDDM among the European-derived population in Edmonton between 1990 and 1995 is the highest rate over a 6-year period to be reported in North America, comparable to that in Prince Edward Island, Canada, and to the highest rates in the world.