Title:Specificities of the Diabetic Population in French Guiana: The Health Barometer Survey
Volume: 18
Issue: 1
Author(s): Nadia Sabbah*, Mickael. Massicard and Nacher Mathieu
Affiliation:
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Centre Hospitalier de Cayenne, F-97306 Cayenne,French Guiana
Keywords:
Diabetes, obesity, French Guiana, health barometer survey, health inequalities, epidemiology.
Abstract: Aim: This study aims to identify the epidemiological and social characteristics of the diabetic
population in French Guiana.
Background: The prevalence of diabetes is very high in the French overseas departments. French
Guiana is, however, a very atypical territory, closer in the epidemiological field to Latin America
than European and French standards.
Objective: To perform a descriptive analysis of variables related to renouncing medical care, social
parameters, and use of healthcare services.
Methods: A two-stage random sample of 1390 individuals aged 30 to 75 years was surveyed by
telephone, and screening was initially done for diabetic versus non-diabetic individuals. Logistic regression
was fitted on the sample to adjust for potential confounding factors. A Kaplan-Meier analysis
showed the risk of diabetes as a function of the age of onset.
Results: The prevalence rate of diabetes was 9.3%, particularly among women, for whom 20% had
a history of gestational diabetes. Excess weight and obesity were found in 60% of people with diabetes.
The diabetic individuals in French Guiana were younger than those in mainland France, and
30% of people with diabetes were on insulin. They often reported sleep problems, and their health
status was described as poor. People with diabetes did not regularly consult a doctor and were very
rarely followed up by a specialist.
Conclusions: The prevalence rate of diabetes and obesity in French Guiana was one of the highest
among the French territories, with specific vulnerabilities requiring to be addressed by local health
policies.
