Type 2 diabetes screening in Mexican primary care

RESERCH DESIGN AND METHODS. We performed a transversal study on 1,562 over 20 year-old-volunteers without a health care system who ignored their status this disease. It consisted of two consecutive tests: 1) fill out the questionnaire prepared by the diabetes Mexican program for the screening of the population; and, 2) measure de capillary as well as the seric glucose simultaneously during fastening.
RESULTS. We got a 98% sensitivity , 58.7% specificity and 16.6% positive predictive value.  Within the symptom criteria we analyzed the sensitivity, and positive predictive value of the questionnaire, where we obtained 51.9% sensitivity, 71% specificity and 11.3% positive predictive value.  Within asymptomatic people, sensitivity reached 100%, spacificity 59.4%, similar to that of the risk factor questionnaire, and the positive predictive value 12.8%.
CONCLUSIONS. The screening program used in the Mexican population without a health care system identified one diabetic person among 15 screening people. The risk factor questionnaire showed a sensitiveness of 98%, specificity of 58.7%, and positive predictive value of 16.6%.

 KEY WORDS: Screening, risk, diabetes, seric glucose, Mexico, risk factor questionnaire.