Increasing incidence and prevalence of diabetes among the Status Aboriginal population in urban and rural Alberta, 1995-2006.

Objective: To compare changes in diagnosed diabetes prevalence and incidence among Status Aboriginal men and women living in urban and rural areas of Alberta.

Methods: We compared trends in diabetes prevalence and incidence from 1995 to 2006 based on diagnostic codes from Alberta Health and Wellness (AHW) administrative records for adults aged 20 years and older. The AHW Registry file was used to determine registered Aboriginal status, as well as rural and urban residence (based on postal code).