Indicator Profile of Diabetes Prevalence Among Utah Youth
Why Is This Important?
Prevalence of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes has increased among youth less than 18 years of age. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the body fails to produce insulin. This type of diabetes most often develops during childhood, particularly around the age of puberty. With type 2 diabetes, insulin is still produced but it is not used efficiently, allowing high levels of glucose to be spilled into the bloodstream. Although the reason for the increase in type 1 diabetes is not well understood, much of the increase in type 2 diabetes among youth can be explained by the increase in the number of children who are overweight or obese, or at risk for being overweight or obese.Diabetes can lead to heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, and amputation. The longer a person has diabetes, the greater the chance for complications to develop. Therefore, diabetes that develops at young ages is a major public health concern.
Youth with diabetes are at particular risk for ketoacidosis, a condition in which blood glucose levels rise to a dangerously high level. Ketoacidosis is an emergency situation that can lead to coma and death without immediate attention.
Percentage of Youth Aged 18 or Less Who Had Been Diagnosed With Diabetes, Utah, 1991-2005
Data Sources
Utah Health Status Survey, Office of Public Health Assessment, Utah Department of Health;Definition
Diabetes prevalence among Utah youth refers to the rate of diabetes among Utah youth less than 18 years of age.How We Calculated the Rates
| Numerator: | Population less than 18 years of age who were reported to have been diagnosed with diabetes. (Reported by knowledgeable adult in the household in the Utah Health Status Survey.) |
| Denominator: | Total Utah population less than 18 years of age. |
Page Content Updated On 10/25/07,
Published on 10/31/07
