ABSTRACT
AIM: The aim of the present study was to provide up-to-date descriptive information in relation to youth (15-24 years) with type 1 diabetes, residing within the Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) catchment area. This included calculating the prevalence of type 1 diabetes in youth, and investigating whether there was an increase in the prevalence since a previous study reporting the prevalence of type 1 diabetes in youth in the CDHB in 2003. METHODS: Data were collected from multiple clinical and research sources. Descriptive information and demographic characteristics, including age, gender, ethnicity, deprivation level, and diabetes duration were gathered. The prevalence, stratified by age and ethnicity, was calculated using the 2006 population census data. RESULTS: There were 248 people with type 1 diabetes aged between 15 and 24 years residing within the CDHB area at the time of present study, giving a prevalence of 426 per 100,000 European youth with type 1 diabetes. The prevalence is found to have increased by 45 per 100,000 (12%) since 2003, but was statistically insignificant. CONCLUSIONS: There was no statistically significant increase in the prevalence of type 1 diabetes in youth in the CDHB catchment area between 2003 and 2010. However, the absolute figures of adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes have increased, which implies an increased demand on health care associated with diabetes compared to 7 years ago.
