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Notice to Readers: National Diabetes Awareness Month --- November 2001
November is National Diabetes Awareness Month. During 1998 in the
United States, an estimated 15.7 million persons had diabetes
(1). From 1990 to 2000, an increase of 49% occurred in the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes and
gestational diabetes in U.S. adults (2); however, lifestyle changes, including weight control
and regular physical activity can prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes, even
in high-risk persons (3).
During November, 59 state and territorial diabetes control programs,
other partners, and CDC will highlight activities that increase awareness of the Initiative
on Diabetes and Women's Health and of the need for persons with diabetes to
receive influenza and pneumococcal vaccines. Persons with diabetes should
receive pneumococcal and annual influenza vaccinations because they are more likely
than persons without diabetes to die from complications of influenza and pneumonia
(4). In 1997, only half of adults with diabetes received an annual influenza vaccination,
and one third received a pneumococcal vaccine
(5).
CDC, the American Diabetes Association, the American Public Health
Association, and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials cosponsor the Initiative
on Diabetes and Women's Health, which has three phases: a report;
the National Public Health Action Plan for Women and
Diabetes; and a national conference. CDC's
recently published report, Diabetes and Women's Health Across the Life Stages: A
Public Health Perspective, is the first major publication to address the unique and
serious impact diabetes has on women throughout life and to address the public
health implications of these issues (6). The publication presents 1) trends in risk factors
for diabetes and its complications during adolescence; 2) the increased risk for offspring
to develop diabetes associated with intrauterine exposure to hyperglycemia; 3) the
effect of menopause on health status; and 4) the increase in poverty and disability for
older women.
CDC. National diabetes fact sheet: national estimates and general information on
diabetes in the United States. Atlanta, Georgia: US Department of Health and Human Services,
CDC, 1998.
Mokdad AH, Bowman BA, Ford ES, et al. The continuing epidemics of obesity and
diabetes in the United States. JAMA 2001;286:1195--200.
Valdez R, Narayan KM, Geiss LS, Engelgau MM. Impact of diabetes mellitus on
mortality associated with pneumonia and influenza among non-Hispanic black and white US
adults. Am J Public Health 1999;89:1715--21.
Beckles GLA, Thompson-Reid PE, eds. Diabetes and women's health across the life
stages: a public health perspective. Atlanta, Georgia: US Department of Health and Human
Services, CDC, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion,
Division of Diabetes Translation, 2001.
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Health and Human Services.
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endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services. CDC is not responsible for the content
of pages found at these sites.
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