Background Despite growing attention to diabetes throughout Asia, data from Southeast Asia are limited. This article reports rates of diabetes, hypertension and obesity in Cambodia. Methods Two studies were conducted across different regions of Cambodia: a 2012 screening study across urban, semi-urban and rural areas that used point of care capillary glucose for determination of diabetes (n = 13,997) and a 2005 epidemiological study with random selection from two main urban areas that used oral glucose tolerance tests for determination of diabetes (n = 1,863). Blood pressure and anthropometrics were also measured. Results In the screening study, urban sites showed significantly higher rates of diabetes than rural sites; semi-urban rates were intermediate. There was a significant dose–response effect for urbanicity on overweight, obesity, and waist-to-hip ratio with higher rates for urban vs semi-urban and semi-urban vs rural locales. Rural sites had the lowest hypertension rates followed by urban and then semi-urban. Among persons who screened positive for diabetes, there was a dose–response effect for urbanicity on undiagnosed diabetes; rates of previously undiagnosed diabetes were lowest in urban (51%) vs semi-urban (55%) vs rural locales (67%). Rural participants reported the highest rates of smoking and alcohol use. In the urban epidemiological study, prevalence rates of diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance were approximately 10%, indicating a prevalence of total glucose intolerance of approximately 20%. Conclusions Diabetes rates in Cambodia are high and disproportionately affect urban residents. A public health response is urgently needed; as development continues, rates of diabetes are expected to rise.
