Diabetes in African American Youth: Prevalence, incidence, and clinical characteristics: the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study

• Published in: Diabetes care Vol. 32; no. 3; pp. S112 - S122
• Main Authors: Mayer-Davis, Elizabeth J, Beyer, Jennifer, Bell, Ronny A, Dabelea, Dana, D'Agostino, Ralph Jr, Imperatore, Giuseppina, Lawrence, Jean M, Liese, Angela D, Liu, Lenna, Marcovina, Santica, Rodriguez, Beatriz
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Diabetes Association 01.03.2009
• Subjects: Adolescent; African Americans; Black or African American; Black People - ethnology; Child; Child, Preschool; Cholesterol; Diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - epidemiology; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - ethnology; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - pathology; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - epidemiology; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - ethnology; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - pathology; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Prevalence; Prevalence studies (Epidemiology); Teenagers; Type 2 diabetes; United States - epidemiology; Young Adult; Youth; United States
• ISSN: 0149-5992; 1935-5548; 1935-5548
• DOI: 10.2337/dc09-S203

OBJECTIVE:--To report the prevalence and incidence of type 1 and type 2 diabetes among African American youth and to describe demographic, clinical, and behavioral characteristics. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS--Data from the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study, a population-based, multicenter observational study of youth with clinically diagnosed diabetes aged 0-19 years, were used to estimate the prevalence for calendar year 2001 (692 cases) and incidence based on 748 African American case subjects diagnosed in 2002-2005. Characteristics of these youth were obtained during a research visit for 436 African American youth with type 1 diabetes and 212 African American youth with type 2 diabetes. RESULTS:--Among African American youth aged 0-9 years, prevalence (per 1,000) of type 1 diabetes was 0.57 (95% CI 0.47-0.69) and for those aged 10-19 years 2.04 (1.85-2.26). Among African American youth aged 0-9 years, annual type 1 diabetes incidence (per 100,000) was 15.7 (13.7-17.9) and for those aged 10-19 years 15.7 (13.8-17.8). A1C was greater-than-or-equal9.5% among 50% of youth with type 1 diabetes aged greater-than-or-equal15 years. Across age-groups and sex, 44.7% of African American youth with type 1 diabetes were overweight or obese. Among African American youth aged 10-19 years, prevalence (per 1,000) of type 2 diabetes was 1.06 (0.93-1.22) and annual incidence (per 100,000) was 19.0 (16.9-21.3). About 60% of African American youth with type 2 diabetes had an annual household income of <$25,000. Among those aged greater-than-or-equal15 years, 27.5% had an A1C greater-than-or-equal9.5%, 22.5% had high blood pressure, and, across subgroups of age and sex, >90% were overweight or obese. CONCLUSIONS:--Type 1 diabetes presents a serious burden among African American youth aged <10 years, and African American adolescents are impacted substantially by both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.