PREVALENCE OF GLUCOSE-INTOLERANCE AMONG NATIVE HAWAIIANS IN 2 RURAL COMMUNITIES

OBJECTIVE - To estimate prevalence of type 2 diabetes and impaired glu cose tolerance (IGT) among a population of native Hawaiians in two rur al communities. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - Prevalence of glucose in tolerance was assessed in two rural communities by history (confirmed by record review) or with a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test according to World Health Organization criteria. Anthropometric and demographic data were also obtained. A short survey was used to estimate the prev alence of known diabetes among nonparticipants. Prevalence rates were adjusted using the standard world population of Segi. RESULTS - A tota l of 574 native Hawaiians age greater than or equal to 30 years partic ipated. The crude prevalence of IGT and type 2 diabetes were 15.5 and 20.4%, respectively. Only IGT prevalence was significantly higher (P = 0.03) among women (18.7%) than among men (10.9%). Prevalence of gluco se intolerance was significantly associated with BMI, waist circumfere nce, and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). After adjusting for age and BMI, wa ist circumference and WHR were significantly and independently associa ted with type 2 diabetes prevalence only among women. Prevalence of ty pe 2 diabetes was not significantly associated with the percentage of Hawaiian ancestry after adjusting for age. CONCLUSIONS - This study ob served a high prevalence of glucose intolerance associated with being overweight among native Hawaiians. Age-adjusted type 2 diabetes preval ence was four times higher than among the U.S. National Health. and Nu trition Examination Survey (NHANES) II population. Prevalence was high despite high rates of admixture with other ethnic groups of Hawaii, s uggesting that these other Asian and Pacific Island populations share similar susceptibility to type 2 diabetes risk.