Background: Although the epidemic of diabetes in adults is well established and documented, information on the epidemiology of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in children and adolescents in Trinidad and Tobago is limited. Anecdotal reports suggest an increase in children and especially adolescents with T2DM amongst clinic attendees.
Objective: To assess the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in schoolchildren screened by mass urinary testing in Trinidad and to determine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of this screening method.
Design and methods: During January to June 2009, a cross-sectional survey was undertaken in schoolchildren aged 5-17 years, in the island of Trinidad only. Children were instructed to collect an early-morning, pre-breakfast urine sample at home and to bring it to school for testing for glycosuria. Those with an initially positive result underwent a second urine test. Those with two consecutively positive urine tests were invited to undertake an oral glucose tolerance test.
Results: 67,000 (53·6%) children from a school-age population of 125,000 were screened. Twenty-three were found to have persistent glycosuria and 21 agreed to undergo an oral glucose tolerance test. Eight fulfilled the American Diabetes Association's criteria for diabetes and five for pre-diabetes. Of the eight with confirmed diabetes (aged 7-18 years), one (male, age 12 years) was slim and ketotic and required insulin for control. Of the other seven, five were overweight (three females, two males) with a BMI >85th per centile and two females were obese (BMI >95th per centile). Five children (four females, one male) aged 12-14 years were diagnosed as pre-diabetic. There is a prevalence of 10·4/100,000 schoolchildren with T2DM, and 7·5/100,000 with impaired glucose intolerance among schoolchildren in Trinidad. Urine screening had a positive predictive value (PPV) of 65% for detecting T2DM in schoolchildren. The cost of screening 67,000 children was US$55,080, a per capita cost of <US$1. The cost of finding one case was US$4286. Economic analysis revealed that investing to find one case today yields a net present value of >US$7000, representing a 63% saving.
Conclusion: Despite the low PPV of urine glucose testing, our data support the view that mass screening of schoolchildren in Trinidad for T2DM is both feasible and cost-effective.