Objectives: This article focuses on the prevalence of diabetes mellitus among Canadians, the health status of those with the disease, their socioeconomic characteristics, personal health behaviours, and use of health services.
Data source: The data are from the 1994/95 National Population Health Survey.
Analytical techniques: Weighted counts were used in computing the prevalence of diabetes and the proportions of people with the characteristics and health behaviours considered.
Main results: In 1994/95, 3% of Canadians aged 12 and older--over 722,000 people--reported having diabetes that had been diagnosed by a health care professional. The prevalence of diabetes increases with age and is associated with low income. A higher percentage of adults with diabetes were overweight compared to those without the disease.