Pasifika children in Auckland have an 18 times greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes than their European peers, according to new research.
The research, published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, canvassed 21 years of childhood diabetes cases at Auckland's Starship Children's Hospital - which covers the whole region.
The study's lead author, Starship paediatric endocrinologist Craig Jeffries, says it's revealed that type 2 diabetes - barely recorded in children 20 years ago - is persistent and rising.
Dr Jeffries told Jamie Tahana the chance is greater for Pasifika children for a variety of reasons.
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Diabetics must monitor their blood sugar levels frequently. Photo: AFP