Table 1

Crude prevalence of previously diagnosed diabetes, undiagnosed diabetes, total diabetes, and proportion of total diabetes that is undiagnosed in Sri Lankan adults,SLHAS 2018/2019

Diagnosed diabetesUndiagnosed diabetesTotal diabetes (diagnosed and undiagnosed by FPG or OGTT)Proportion of total diabetes that is undiagnosed‡
FPG*OGTT†Total (FPG or OGTT)
N666165254827482748271580
All adults14.3 (13.1 to 15.5)4.2 (3.5 to 4.8)7.5 (6.5 to 8.4)8.7 (7.6 to 9.7)23.0 (21.2 to 24.7)37.7 (34.0 to 41.4)
Age (years)
 18–290.6 (0.2 to 1.1)1.3 (0.4 to 2.2)2.7 (1.0 to 4.3)3.0 (1.2 to 4.8)3.6 (1.9 to 5.4)82.3 (68.8 to 95.9)
 30–397.2 (5.4 to 9.0)3.8 (2.5 to 5.1)7.6 (5.4 to 9.8)8.4 (6.2 to 10.6)15.6 (12.9 to 18.4)53.7 (43.8 to 63.7)
 40–4916.1 (13.5 to 18.7)6.4 (4.3 to 8.4)9.6 (7.0 to 12.2)11.4 (8.2 to 14.5)27.5 (23.5 to 31.4)41.3 (33.1 to 49.6)
 50–5925.9 (22.2 to 29.5)4.5 (3.1 to 6.0)8.7 (6.0 to 11.3)9.5 (6.8 to 12.3)35.4 (30.8 to 40.0)27.0 (19.7 to 34.2)
 60–6929.8 (26.2 to 33.4)5.6 (3.6 to 7.5)10.7 (8.1 to 13.2)13.1 (10.0 to 16.1)42.8 (38.5 to 47.1)30.5 (24.2 to 36.8)
 70–7927.1 (23.3 to 31.0)4.4 (2.6 to 6.1)8.8 (5.0 to 12.5)10.7 (6.6 to 14.8)37.8 (32.0 to 43.6)28.3 (19.4 to 37.2)
 80+20.6 (14.1 to 27.0)11.4 (6.5 to 16.2)13.8 (3.6 to 24.1)18.5 (7.5 to 29.5)39.1 (27.2 to 50.9)47.4 (26.7 to 68.0)
Sex
 Men13.2 (11.8 to 14.6)3.2 (2.5 to 3.9)6.3 (5.1 to 7.5)6.9 (5.7 to 8.2)20.1 (18.4 to 21.8)34.5 (29.0 to 40.0)
 Women15.3 (13.8 to 16.9)5.0 (4.0 to 6.0)8.5 (6.9 to 10.0)10.2 (8.6 to 11.9)25.5 (23.0 to 28.1)40.0 (35.6 to 44.4)
Ethnicity
 Sinhala12.4 (11.3 to 13.5)4.2 (3.7 to 4.8)7.5 (6.4 to 8.6)8.5 (7.4 to 9.7)20.9 (19.2 to 22.7)40.7 (36.5 to 45.0)
 Tamil14.7 (10.8 to 18.5)3.4 (1.8 to 5.0)5.6 (3.7 to 7.6)6.9 (4.7 to 9.1)21.6 (17.7 to 25.5)32.0 (21.7 to 42.2)
 Muslim29.0 (22.4 to 35.5)4.5 (1.7 to 7.3)9.7 (5.0 to 14.3)11.8 (6.7 to 16.9)40.8 (32.2 to 49.3)28.9 (17.5 to 40.4)
 Other4.7 (0.4 to 9.0)§§§32.4 (1.0 to 63.8)§
Sector¶
 Urban24.7 (21.9 to 27.5)5.3 (3.2 to 7.5)9.7 (7.5 to 11.9)11.1 (8.3 to 14.0)35.8 (31.2 to 40.5)31.1 (25.3 to 36.8)
 Rural11.9 (10.6 to 13.2)4.0 (3.4 to 4.7)7.2 (6.0 to 8.4)8.5 (7.2 to 9.7)20.4 (18.4 to 22.3)41.7 (36.8 to 46.7)
 Estate4.6 (0.0 to 9.1)§3.5 (0.8 to 6.1)5.0 (0.5 to 9.5)9.6 (0.8 to 18.3)52.1 (41.4 to 62.9)
Household SES quintile
 Poorest10.4 (8.5 to 12.2)3.7 (2.4 to 5.0)8.4 (5.9 to 11.0)9.3 (6.6 to 12.0)19.9 (16.3 to 23.5)46.7 (38.7 to 54.8)
 Poorer12.6 (10.3 to 14.9)3.7 (2.8 to 4.6)6.0 (4.1 to 7.9)7.1 (5.0 to 9.2)19.4 (16.5 to 22.4)36.6 (27.9 to 45.3)
 Middle13.4 (10.6 to 16.3)4.7 (2.8 to 6.6)6.5 (4.1 to 8.8)8.6 (5.9 to 11.3)22.4 (18.4 to 26.5)38.3 (28.9 to 47.7)
 Richer16.6 (14.2 to 18.9)5.0 (3.4 to 6.5)6.8 (4.8 to 8.9)7.8 (5.6 to 10.1)23.9 (20.4 to 27.4)32.8 (25.6 to 40.0)
 Richest18.4 (16.0 to 20.9)3.7 (2.4 to 5.0)9.5 (7.1 to 11.9)10.5 (7.8 to 13.1)28.9 (25.3 to 32.4)36.3 (28.8 to 43.7)
BMI (kg/m2)
 Underweight (<18.5)3.7 (2.2 to 5.3)1.5 (0.7 to 2.4)2.2 (0.8 to 3.5)3.1 (1.3 to 4.9)6.8 (4.5 to 9.1)45.4 (26.3 to 64.6)
 Normal (18.5–24.9)14.3 (12.7 to 15.9)3.0 (2.3 to 3.8)5.1 (4.1 to 6.1)6.0 (4.9 to 7.1)20.6 (18.4 to 22.9)29.0 (24.4 to 33.6)
 Overweight (25.0–29.9)18.0 (15.9 to 20.1)6.2 (4.8 to 7.6)11.4 (9.4 to 13.3)12.7 (10.6 to 14.8)29.9 (27.0 to 32.9)42.5 (37.1 to 47.9)
 Obese (≥30)15.7 (11.8 to 19.6)7.0 (4.5 to 9.5)13.7 (9.2 to 18.2)16.0 (11.1 to 20.9)31.6 (25.5 to 37.6)50.7 (40.2 to 61.3)
Asian BMI categories (kg/m2)
 Underweight (<18.5)3.7 (2.2 to 5.3)1.5 (0.7 to 2.4)2.2 (0.8 to 3.5)3.1 (1.3 to 4.9)6.8 (4.5 to 9.1)45.4 (26.3 to 64.6)
 Normal (18.5–22.9)12.8 (10.9 to 14.6)3.3 (2.3 to 4.2)4.3 (3.0 to 5.6)5.2 (3.8 to 6.6)18.2 (15.6 to 20.8)28.5 (22.2 to 34.8)
 Overweight (23.0–24.9)17.4 (14.4 to 20.3)2.6 (1.3 to 3.8)6.5 (4.3 to 8.7)7.5 (5.2 to 9.9)25.3 (21.1 to 29.6)29.7 (22.3 to 37.1)
 Obese (≥25)17.4 (15.5 to 19.4)6.4 (5.2 to 7.6)11.9 (9.9 to 13.9)13.5 (11.4 to 15.6)30.3 (27.5 to 33.2)44.5 (39.4 to 49.6)
  • Estimates are given as % (95% CI). All estimates are weighted as described in text to match the Sri Lankan adult population in 2019 with respect to age, sex, ethnicity, region, and area socioeconomic development. Diagnosed diabetes was determined by self-report, review of shared medical records, and medication on interview.

  • *FPG ≥126 mg/dL.

  • †2-hour plasma glucose ≥200 mg/dL.

  • ‡Estimates in this column have a denominator of total diabetes, whereas all other estimates use the total population as denominator.

  • §Estimates in this column have a denominator of total diabetes, whereas all other estimates use the total population as denominator.

  • ¶Residential sector is classified by statistical authorities in Sri Lanka into three categories: urban, rural, and estate. Estate sector refers to households living within the boundaries of agricultural plantations. The SLHAS defines sector according to the characteristics of the PSU, and since some PSUs contained both rural and estate households, these were categorized as “rural/estate,” and these observations are omitted from the tabulation by sector.

  • BMI, body mass index; FPG, fasting plasma glucose; OGTT, oral glucose tolerance test; PSU, primary sampling unit; SES, socioeconomic status; SLHAS, Sri Lanka Health and Ageing Study.