The incidence of juvenile diabetes mellitus in New Zealand

Summary The incidence of juvenile diabetes in New Zealand over a five year period (1968–1972) was determined from hospital admission data stored at the Department of Health, National Statistics Centre. The average annual incidence for persons under 20 years was 10.4 persons/100,000. There was no sex difference below 16 years, and the increased incidence among females 16–19 years could be attributed to pregnancy. There was a 1.4-fold higher incidence in the South Island than in the North Island. There were no regular seasonal trends. The incidence was constant between 1–9 years increasing to a sustained 2.2-fold higher level from 11 years. The absence of childhood peaks and the sustained higher incidence in adolescence is in contrast to European studies.