They reveal an increasing trend in the incidence of Type 1 Diabetes in the

pediatric population in Puerto Rico

At the launch of the first Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes Platform in Puerto Rico

The incidence rate of Type 1 Diabetes in the pediatric population (new cases per 100,000 people between 0 and 18 years of age) shows a tendency to increase over the years, with 2009 being the year with the lowest rate (20.5), and 2021 the year with the highest rate (38.4). Although there are variations, on average, the incidence rate shows an increasing trend of 1% per year. In the most recent available year, 2022, the incidence rate was 34.2 new cases per 100,000 people between 0 and 18 years old. These data were revealed during the presentation of the first Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes Platform in Puerto Rico, developed by the Statistics Institute of Puerto Rico in partnership with the Pediatric Diabetes Foundation. This platform provides essential statistical data for understanding and addressing Type 1 Diabetes in Puerto Rico and is available at: https://estadisticas.pr/en/diabetes-tipo-1.

“These data are essential to be able to establish public policies for management, allocation of funds and resources, for researchers, doctors and for the families of patients living with diabetes. We needed an entity such as the Puerto Rico Statistics Institute with the expertise and willingness to help us with the statistical process, which resulted in an important alliance of will between the Foundation and the Institute. Today we can present the result of the collaboration between the Foundation and the Institute,” said Bernardo Maldonado, president of the Board of Directors of the Puerto Rico Pediatric Diabetes Foundation.

According to the executive director of the Institute of Statistics, Dr. Orville M. Disdier, this platform represents an essential advance in the understanding and management of Type 1 Diabetes in the pediatric population. “These findings, presented for the first time on an interactive platform, provide a detailed view of the situation of Type 1 Pediatric Diabetes in Puerto Rico, which is essential for guiding public health policies and resource allocation,” said Dr. Disdier.

The findings detailed on the platform reveal significant data for the period from 2009 to 2022. Among these, the following stand out:

• Between 2009 and 2022, a total of 2,850 people between 0 and 18 years of age were diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes for the first time. On average, 204 cases of Type 1 Diabetes are diagnosed annually in people 18 years of age or younger.
• Most of the cases (67%) diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes for the first time were between 5 and 14 years old. The average age of these cases was approximately 10 years.
• Overall, 53% of the cases were male and the remaining 47% were female.

In addition, Mariana Benítez Hilera, executive director of the Pediatric Diabetes Foundation, emphasized the Foundation's work in collecting unique data since 2008. This is thanks to a collaborative alliance with the hospitals where these patients are diagnosed and pediatric endocrinologists. “Once a child is diagnosed with diabetes, the first help they receive at the hospital is from our Foundation, which in turn helps us to have contact with their family right from the start and help them throughout the education process,” said Benítez Hilera.

Dr. Marina Ruiz, a pediatric endocrinologist, emphasized that Type 1 Diabetes is the type of diabetes that most affects the pediatric population. “It's an autoimmune condition that has no cure and can't be prevented. The condition requires a multidisciplinary team, such as the one found at the Pediatric Diabetes Foundation, to achieve successful management. This is the first time that statistics on diabetes in children aged 0 to 18 have been generated in Puerto Rico, which will help position our island on the world map with validated and reliable data. This will lead to the development of clinical studies in the near future to continue expanding our knowledge of the condition. In addition, it helps to carry the message to communities so that they have symptoms present and thus avoid acute and/or chronic complications.” said Ruiz.

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The number of post-secondary graduates in creative disciplines is decreasing

According to the Puerto Rico Creative Industries Report 2020 from the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics

April 21, 2023. A decline in the number of post-secondary graduates in creative disciplines is part of the data presented in the Creative Industries Report in Puerto Rico 2020 published by the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics. This report collects social, economic and labor indicators for the development of creative industries in Puerto Rico. In this sixth edition, in addition to multiple economic and demographic indicators, post-secondary education indicators are included as a means of establishing a profile on the input of human capital to this commercial and industrial sector.

“The year 2020 was one where all economic and social activities were affected by isolation measures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The creative industries were no exception,” said Dr. Francisco Pesante, lead author of the study, who explained that, for this reason, this report shows, among others, data related to post-secondary graduates in creative disciplines that totaled 1,963 people, which represents a decrease compared to previous years (2,210 in 2019; 2,453 in 2018).

The Puerto Rico Creative Industries Report 2020 details the following aspects: Number of graduates by level of post-secondary education; Number of establishments by number of employees; Number of registered establishments by industrial sector; Number of registered employees and distribution by sex by Creative Industry; Average annual wage by specific industry; Average annual salary of some creative occupations per year; Ratio of creative establishments per population in municipalities and Value of imports and exports of creative industries.

The scope of this report, Pesante reported, is limited to data sets where standardized industrial or occupational coding systems are used. As for economic indicators, the data handled are limited to establishments with people on the payroll. Therefore, this report does not include data on people who are self-employed, nor does it include data on people who work voluntarily or did not report their creative activities as their main source of income.

As a summary, the Puerto Rico Creative Industries Report 2020 presents the following data:

1. Post-secondary graduates in creative disciplines totaled 1,963 people. Graphic Design (14.7%), Computer Science (12.3%) and Digital Graphic Design (11.3%) were the disciplines with the highest number of graduates.
2. The total number of creative establishments ranged from 1,844, according to U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns (CBP) and 2,019 establishments according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages). 67.3% correspond to establishments with 1 to 4 employees (CBP). In this area, companies dedicated to Computer System Design (10.3%), Advertising Agencies (9.8%) and Computer Programming Services (9.3%) dominated.
3. The number of employees in creative industries totaled 15,818, mainly employed as Computer Programming Services (15.9%), Computer Systems Design (14.1%) and Newspaper Publishing (11.0%).
4. The profession with the most equitable distribution by sex was the Souvenir, Gift or Novelty Stores sector (with 54.6% occupied by women and 45.4% by men).
5. The highest average salaries were reported by Software Publishing occupations ($151,073). As for average salaries for creative occupations, the maximum value corresponds to Architects, except landscape designers ($52,990), while the minimum wage includes library assistants ($18,920).
6. At the island level, Puerto Rico registered a rate of 6.13 establishments dedicated to creative activities, per 10,000 inhabitants. Seven municipalities did not register establishments with people on the payroll, dedicated to creative activities. The municipality with the lowest rate per 10,000 inhabitants was Loíza with 0.42, while San Juan had the highest concentration, with 24.7 establishments per 10,000 inhabitants.
7. The value of imports of goods classified under the creative sectors exceeded exports, with a negative trade balance of $184,870.354 million for Puerto Rico.

Dr. Orville M. Disdier, Executive Director, explained that the main objective of this report is to offer both the government of Puerto Rico and all citizens a tool to enrich knowledge about the creative economy in Puerto Rico and thus promote the economic development of this sector. “Through the Creative Industries Report 2020, we can understand the economic value of creativity and innovation in Puerto Rico. Having these data and statistics is crucial for economic development and for harnessing the full potential of creative industries in Puerto Rico's recovery and growth.”

The Puerto Rico Creative Industries Report 2020 is available at: Creative Industries 2020

You can also access a Dashboard, where some of the data presented in this report are collected, through the following link https://bit.ly/3UPckEd.

The Puerto Rico Statistics Institute is a governmental entity in the executive branch, with fiscal and administrative autonomy, whose main purpose is to ensure that Puerto Rico has complete, reliable statistics that are quickly and universally accessible. To learn more about the Institute of Statistics, you can access the website: www.estadisticas.pr. On social media through Facebook (@estadisticas .pr), Twitter (@EstadisticasPR), Instagram (@institutodeestadisticas) and LinkedIn (Institute of Statistics of Puerto Rico) accounts.

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Statistics Institute holds Expo Statistics 2015 in observance of World Statistics Day