OBJECTIVETo investigate prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), impaired fasting glucose (IFG) in Baotou Iron & Steel Company and to provide scientific evidence for prevention and intervention of DM.

METHODSPrevalence of DM was studied in 20 221 workers aged 20 years and over (male 15 124 and female 5 097), with the criteria set by the American Diabetes Association (ADA, 1997), in Baotou Iron & Steel Company.

RESULTSPrevalence of DM, IGT and IFG was 3.22%, 3.48% and 2.09%, respectively in 20 221 subjects, adjusted for age, which increased with age, body mass index and waist to hip ratio, and 56.30% of them were newly-diagnosed. Family history of DM and overweight correlated to prevalence of DM, IGT and IFG, which was higher in mental workers than that in physical laborers. The lower level of education, the higher prevalence of DM, IGT and IFG. Prevalence of DM, IGT and IFG in the workers working under high-temperature condition had no significantly difference with that in the control group. Mean blood pressure was significantly higher in persons with DM, IGT and IFG than that in the normal controls.

CONCLUSIONSAge, overweight, obesity, family history of DM, mental work, low level of education, and history of gestation with a huge fetus all were risk factors for DM, IGT and IFG. There is no significant impact of high temperature environment on prevalence of DM, IGT and IFG.