The prevalence of diabetes and its complications, particularly renal complications, is considered high in the Caribbean, and lifestyle and dietary habits there are likely to change rapidly, thereby contributing to the incidence of diabetes and its complications. However, few recent epidemiological data are available regarding diabetes. In fact, in Martinique, only one prevalence study was conducted by ORSTOM in 1984. It involved a sample of 359 adults aged 15 and older. The prevalence of self-reported and treated diabetes was estimated at 4.5%. The need for up-to-date data on the prevention of certain diseases in Martinique as part of the National Nutrition and Health Program led the Martinique Health Observatory and the Antilles-Guyana Interregional Epidemiology Unit to conduct a general population survey in 2003/2004. Escal (Survey on Health and Eating Behaviors) allows for an estimation of the prevalence of diabetes in Martinique for 2004, as well as the characteristics of people with diabetes and their treatment modalities. (Introduction)