The following is a summary of “Prevalence of Mental, Behavioral, and Developmental Disorders Among Children and Adolescents with Diabetes, United States (2016–2019),” published in the FEBRUARY 2023 issue of Pediatrics by Barrett, et al.

For a study, researchers sought to investigate the correlation between diabetes and mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders in young people. 

To do this, they analyzed the prevalence of these disorders in children and adolescents, both with and without diabetes. They conducted a cross-sectional study using data from the 2016-2019 National Survey of Children’s Health, in which parents reported whether their child had been diagnosed with diabetes or any of several mental, behavioral, or developmental disorders. They calculated crude prevalence estimates weighted to represent the US child population, as well as adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) to account for age, sex, and race/ethnicity.

The study cohort consisted of 121,312 children and adolescents between the ages of 2 and 17 years. They found that the prevalence of mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders was higher in those with diabetes compared to those without diabetes, with prevalence rates of 39.9% (30.2-50.4) and 20.3% (19.8-20.8), respectively. After adjusting for confounding factors, they observed that those with diabetes had a significantly higher prevalence of mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders (aPR: 1.72 [1.31-2.27]), as well as mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders (aPR: 1.90 [1.38-2.61]) and developmental, learning, and language disorders (aPR: 1.89 [1.35-2.66]).

In conclusion, the study suggested that a substantial proportion of young people with diabetes also have mental, behavioral, or developmental disorders. Further research was needed to determine the mechanisms underlying this association, which may lead to better strategies for preventing these conditions in children and adolescents.

Reference: jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(22)00809-5/fulltext