Prevalence of diabetes mellitus in the rural southern Free State

Abstract

Background: A worldwide increase in the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) has been reported and an even further increase is expected as a result of lifestyle changes. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of DM in the rural southern Free State and to investigate the contribution of risk factors such as age, physical activity, body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio and waist circumference to the development of impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or DM.