Presence of diabetes mellitus in the ‘Dawoodi Bohra youth community’ in Udaipur, Rajasthan

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Diabetes mellitus is a major public health problem worldwide. With the rising incidence of diabetes in India, it becomes particularly relevant to ascertain its prevalence in various ethnic groups. The objective of this study was to find out the presence of diabetes mellitus in the 'Dawoodi Bohra Youth Community' and also to assess the factors responsible for it. METHODS A house-to-house study was conducted and 2179 subjects were questioned randomly; children below 18 yr of age were excluded. A questionnaire was given to each member and questions were also asked to test their level of awareness regarding diabetes which was graded on a 5-pointer scale where 1 meant 'very poor' and 5-'excellent'. Diabetes was diagnosed using GOD-POD (oxidase-peroxidase) method according to the WHO criteria. RESULTS Total number of diabetic subjects found was 246 (11.29%) with a mean age of 60.21±10.91 years. The condition was more common in males (58.94%). The highest prevalence was recorded in the age group of 65-69 yr (22.01%) and none had diabetes in the age group 11-24 yr. Pedigree analysis showed that 109 (44.30%) subjects had at least one affected relative and 23 (9.34%) had at least two diabetic family members; 52 were found to have parents with diabetes. On the 5-pointer scale, the overall care in diabetic subjects was 3.76±0.56 as compared to 2.86±0.60 in non-diabetic subjects (p<0.001). INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS Our results indicated that the marital alliances, familial aggregation and lifestyle could be the major factors which enhanced the chances of diabetes in this community. This research work also reflected poor awareness among these people regarding their health and diseases.