DIABETES EPIDEMIOLOGY

Diabetes epidemiology

Diabetes epidemiology

Introduction

Epidemiology is a population's health science. It utilizes a population approach for the study of the distribution (person, place, and time) and determinants (biological, social) of health and disease in defined populations of varying characteristics, and how to use the information for the prevention and control of various health problems. (Edvei, 1993,25)

The term epidemiology is of Greek origin and can be roughly translated as the study among or upon people. The origins of epidemiology can be traced back to the era of Hippocrates, when the idea that environmental factors (seasons, winds, hot, cold) can influence disease occurrence was in circulation. However, epidemiology's development into a full-fledged discipline excelled in the 19th century with the work of John Snow, on which identified the relation between drinking water supplied from a certain company and the risk of death from cholera. Although epidemiology originated from the study of communicable diseases, it eventually developed a more comprehensive scientific approach to studying various health-related states including no communicable diseases, disability, accidents, quality of life, and others. Chang AM, 2003, 50)

With important advances in medicine and public health and overall increases in average life expectancy in the developed and developing world in the 20th century, chronic diseases have now reached epidemic proportions globally. This entry provides an overview of factors that have contributed to the worldwide emergence of chronic diseases; describes the epidemiology of the major chronic diseases of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes; and highlights some of the core epidemiologic and statistical methods for studying chronic diseases. (Chang AM, 2003, 50)

Discussion and Analysis

Prevalence of Diabetes

Diabetes comprised 2% (1 million) of all deaths, and 1% of disability-adjusted life-years worldwide in the year 2005. It is projected that the total number of adults with diabetes will more than double from 171 million in the year 2000 to 366 million in 2030. This rapid increase can be attributed to aging of the population globally, the epidemiologic transition in the developing world, and the increasing prevalence of poor diets, sedentary behaviors, and obesity in developed nations. India, China, and then the United States are estimated to have the highest numbers of diabetes cases in both 2000 and 2030.

In the United States, nearly 1 in 10 Americans above the age of 20 had diabetes in 2005, with a slightly lower prevalence among women (8.8%) than men (10.5%). Based on death certificate records, diabetes ranked as ...