BACKGROUND: There is a geographical variation in the incidence of childhood type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) with a steady increase reported from some countries. However, data on the incidence of childhood T1DM in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are limited. OBJECTIVE: To identify the incidence rate (IR) and epidemiological trends of childhood T1DM in the largest city of northwest Saudi Arabia. METHODS: All patients with newly diagnosed T1DM aged 0-12 yr living in the city between 2004 and 2009 were identified from different sources. The data were analyzed according to age, sex, and month of presentation. RESULTS: In total, 419 patients (249 girls) were diagnosed between 2004 and 2009 inclusive. The mean age at diagnosis was 6.9 ± 3.5 yr. The mean annual age-standardized IR was 29.0 (95% confidence interval 26.0-32.0). The incidence was significantly higher in the 10-12-yr age group than in younger children (p < 0.001) and higher in girls than in boys (33.0 vs. 22.2 per 100 000; p < 0.001). There was no significant increase in the annual incidence during the 6-yr period (p = 0.68) and more cases were diagnosed during autumn and winter months (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Al-Madinah city has the highest reported incidence of childhood T1DM in the Middle East and North Africa region. Further studies to identify the reasons for this high incidence are needed.
BACKGROUND: There is a geographical variation in the incidence of childhood type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) with a steady increase reported from some countries. However, data on the incidence of childhood T1DM in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are limited. OBJECTIVE: To identify the incidence rate (IR) and epidemiological trends of childhood T1DM in the largest city of northwest Saudi Arabia. METHODS: All patients with newly diagnosed T1DM aged 0-12 yr living in the city between 2004 and 2009 were identified from different sources. The data were analyzed according to age, sex, and month of presentation. RESULTS: In total, 419 patients (249 girls) were diagnosed between 2004 and 2009 inclusive. The mean age at diagnosis was 6.9 ± 3.5 yr. The mean annual age-standardized IR was 29.0 (95% confidence interval 26.0-32.0). The incidence was significantly higher in the 10-12-yr age group than in younger children (p < 0.001) and higher in girls than in boys (33.0 vs. 22.2 per 100 000; p < 0.001). There was no significant increase in the annual incidence during the 6-yr period (p = 0.68) and more cases were diagnosed during autumn and winter months (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Al-Madinah city has the highest reported incidence of childhood T1DM in the Middle East and North Africa region. Further studies to identify the reasons for this high incidence are needed.
Authors: Davies Adeloye; Kit Yee Chan; Natasha Thorley; Charlotte Jones; David Johnstone; Ari L'Heveder; Vanja Saftic; David Henderson; Mickey Chopra; Harry Campbell; Igor Rudan Journal: J Glob Health Date: 2018-12 Impact factor: 4.413