The prevalence of type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes mellitus in an inner city multi-ethnic population

'Zeeburg', a multiethnic town borough in the Amsterdam-East region, has one of the city's highest rates of immigrants. In the total population of 19,8 25 Surinam (mainly Creole), Turkish, Moroccan, and Dutch adults the prevale nce of known type 2 diabetes in 1994 and of gestational diabetes mellitus ( GDM) between January 1992 and January 1997 was investigated. Based on World Health Organization (WHO) criteria of 1985, the age-standardized prevalenc e of type 2 diabetes was similar in men (6.4%; 95% confidence interval [CI] : 5.6-7.2) and women (6.4%; 95% CI: 5.8-7.0) for all ethnic groups combined . However, the age- and sex-standardized prevalence of type 2 diabetes was significantly greater in the non-Dutch inhabitants than in the Dutch inhabi tants (17.3% [95% CI: 12.9-21.6] in Surinam inhabitants, 10.9% [95% CI: 9.7 -12.2] in Turkish inhabitants, 12.4% [95% CI: 9.7-15.0] in Moroccan inhabit ants, and 3.6% [95% CI: 3.2-3.9] in Dutch inhabitants). The odds ratios for type 2 diabetes for the separate immigrant groups relative to the Dutch gr oup were 5.88 (95% CI: 4.54-7.69) for Surinam inhabitants, 4.00 (95% CI: 2. 86-5.55) for Turkish inhabitants, and 4.17 (95% CI: 3.03-5.55) for Moroccan inhabitants. GDM was present in 2.59% of women of non-Dutch origin compare d with 0.62% of women of Dutch origin. A significant positive association w as found between the non-Dutch origin and the occurrence of GDM (chi(2) = 6 .7; p < 0.01). The study highlights a high prevalence of known type 2 diabe tes and GDM in the immigrant inhabitants and emphasizes that appropriate in terventions are necessarily with implications for health targets and capita tion based budgets.