To estimate the incidence and prevalence of type I diabetes among Manitoba children aged 0–14 years from 1985–1993.
The Manitoba Diabetes Database (a population-based database of individuals diagnosed with diabetes based on Manitoba's health insurance system) was used to estimate the annual incidence of diabetes for the years 1985–1993 and the point prevalence of diabetes at 31 March 1993 for Manitoba children aged 0–14 years. The Diabetes Education Resource for Children and Adolescents program database was used to correct incidence and prevalence rates for ascertainment using the two-source capture-recapture method.
The overall ascertainment rate of the Manitoba Diabetes Database was 95% for incident cases and 93% for prevalent cases. The average annual incidence was 20.4 per 100,000 for children aged 0–14 years. The annual incidence appears to be stable for all age-groups 0–14 years over the past decade. The point prevalence of diabetes among children was 120.4 per 100,000.
The incidence of type I diabetes in children aged 0–14 years in Manitoba is higher than reported previously in other urban regions of Canada, but similar to population-based estimates from Prince Edward Island. The incidence appears stable in Manitoba over the past decade even in the 0–4 year age-group. The Manitoba Diabetes Database appears to be a highly accurate population-based source of data on the epidemiology of diabetes in children.
