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National Estimates on Diabetes

The estimates on diabetes in this fact sheet were derived from various data systems of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the outpatient database of the Indian Health Service (IHS), the U.S. Renal Data System of the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Census Bureau, and published studies. Estimates of the total number of persons with diabetes and the prevalence of diabetes in 2005 were derived using 1999–2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 1999–2003 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), 2003 IHS data, and 2005 resident population estimates. Many of the estimated numbers and percentages of people with diabetes were derived by applying diabetes prevalence estimates from health surveys of the civilian, noninstitutionalized population to the most recent 2005 resident population estimates. These estimates have some variability due to the limits of the measurements and estimation procedures. The procedures assumed that age-race-sex–specific percentages of adults with diabetes (diagnosed and undiagnosed) in 2005 are the same as they were in earlier time periods (e.g., 1999–2002) and that the age-race-sex percentages of adults with diabetes in resident population is identical to that in the civilian, noninstitutionalized population. Deviations from these assumptions may result in over- or under-estimated numbers and percentages. For further information on the methods for deriving total, diagnosed, and undiagnosed prevalence of diabetes from NHANES data, see www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5235a1.htm. More detail on the data sources, references, and methods are available at www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/references05.htm.