Objective: To investigate the prevalence of diabetes and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) among rural Chinese adults.
Methods: A cross-sectional whole-population health survey of 364781 men and 405011 women aged 35 years and over was undertaken in 2004 in Tianjin rural area. An overnight fasting capillary whole blood specimen was collected for glucose measurement and information on history of previously diagnosed diabetes was obtained by a standard questionnaire.
Results: Using the World Health Organization standard, the age-standardized prevalence of IFG (fasting capillary whole blood glucose 5.6-6.0 mmol/l), screen-detected (previously undiagnosed) diabetes (>or=6.1 mmol/l) and previously diagnosed diabetes were 13.7%, 7.9% and 0.4% in men, 14.5%, 9.7% and 0.9% in women, and 14.1%, 8.8% and 0.7% in men and women combined, respectively. The prevalence of IFG, screen-detected diabetes and previously diagnosed diabetes was higher in women than in men (all p<0.001). The prevalence of IFG and diabetes was higher in participants of rural Tianjin than in the overall Chinese rural and urban population based on the Fourth National Nutritional Survey carried out in 2002.
Conclusion: The prevalence of IFG and diabetes is relatively high in the rural population in Tianjin and it has become an important public health problem in China.