Spatiotemporal association between COVID-19 incidence and type 1 diabetes incidence among children and adolescents: a register-based ecological study in Germany

ObjectiveStudies have shown an increased incidence of pediatric type 1 diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the detailed role of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the incidence increase in type 1 diabetes remains unclear. We investigated the spatiotemporal association of pediatric type 1 diabetes and COVID-19 incidence at the district level in Germany.MethodsFor the period from March 2020 to June 2022, nationwide data on incident type 1 diabetes among children and adolescents aged <20 years and daily documented COVID-19 infections in the total population were obtained from the German Diabetes Prospective Follow-up Registry and the Robert Koch Institute, respectively. Data were aggregated at district level and seven time periods related to COVID-19 pandemic waves. Spatiotemporal associations between indirectly standardized incidence rates of type 1 diabetes and COVID-19 were analyzed by Spearman correlation and Bayesian spatiotemporal conditional autoregressive Poisson models.ResultsStandardized incidence ratios of type 1 diabetes and COVID-19 in the pandemic period were not significantly correlated across districts and time periods. A doubling of the COVID-19 incidence rate was not associated with a significant increase in the incidence rate of type 1 diabetes (relative risk 1.006, 95% CI 0.987; 1.019).ConclusionOur findings based on data from the pandemic period indirectly indicate that a causal relationship between SARS-COV-2 infection and type 1 diabetes among children and adolescents is unlikely

The interplay of family history of depression and early trauma: associations with lifetime and current depression in the German national cohort (NAKO)

INTRODUCTION: Family history of depression and childhood maltreatment are established risk factors for depression. However, how these factors are interrelated and jointly influence depression risk is not well understood. The present study investigated (i) if childhood maltreatment is associated with a family history of depression (ii) if family history and childhood maltreatment are associated with increased lifetime and current depression, and whether both factors interact beyond their main effects, and (iii) if family history affects lifetime and current depression via childhood maltreatment. METHODS: Analyses were based on a subgroup of the first 100,000 participants of the German National Cohort (NAKO), with complete information (58,703 participants, mean age = 51.2 years, 53% female). Parental family history of depression was assessed via self-report, childhood maltreatment with the Childhood Trauma Screener (CTS), lifetime depression with self-reported physician's diagnosis and the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), and current depressive symptoms with the depression scale of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Generalized linear models were used to test main and interaction effects. Mediation was tested using causal mediation analyses. RESULTS: Higher frequencies of the childhood maltreatment measures were found in subjects reporting a positive family history of depression. Family history and childhood maltreatment were independently associated with increased depression. No statistical interactions of family history and childhood maltreatment were found for the lifetime depression measures. For current depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 sum score), an interaction was found, with stronger associations of childhood maltreatment and depression in subjects with a positive family history. Childhood maltreatment was estimated to mediate 7%–12% of the effect of family history on depression, with higher mediated proportions in subjects whose parents had a depression onset below 40 years. Abuse showed stronger associations with family history and depression, and higher mediated proportions of family history effects on depression than neglect. DISCUSSION: The present study confirms the association of childhood maltreatment and family history with depression in a large population-based cohort. While analyses provide little evidence for the joint effects of both risk factors on depression beyond their individual effects, results are consistent with family history affecting depression via childhood maltreatment to a small extent

Increased risk of impaired treatment satisfaction among girls/women and young people with suboptimal HbA1c: Results of a nationwide type 1 diabetes study

Background!#!This study aims to analyze the patient-reported outcome (PRO) of treatment satisfaction in a sample of children, adolescents and young adults with long-duration type 1 diabetes and to determine potential risk factors for poor treatment satisfaction and the intraindividual changes over a 3-year period.!##!Methods!#!This study used data from two population-based questionnaire surveys conducted in 2015-2016 and 2018-2019. The participants were 11 to 27 years old and had a type 1 diabetes duration of 10 years or longer in 2015-2016 (n = 575). Factors that were potentially associated with poor treatment satisfaction (moderate, poor or very poor) compared to the reference group (very good or good treatment satisfaction) were analyzed by log binomial regression adjusted for sex and age group.!##!Results!#!In 2015-2016 (2018-2019), 26% (33%) of the respondents rated their diabetes treatment/consultation as 'very good', 53% (46%) as 'good', and 20% (21%) as 'poor'. Based on the 2018-2019 data, girls/women had an increased risk of poor treatment satisfaction (RR!##!Conclusions!#!Most study participants were satisfied with their diabetes treatment. However, we identified risk groups that would benefit from targeted interventions to improve this important PRO

Mental health problems among adolescents with early-onset and long-duration type 1 diabetes and their association with quality of life: a population-based survey.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate mental health problems and associations between mental health problems and health-related quality of life in adolescents with type 1 diabetes in comparison with the general population. METHOD: A total of 629 11- to 17-year-olds with early-onset and long-lasting type 1 diabetes and their parents completed comprehensive questionnaires. Mental health was assessed using the parent- and self-report versions of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The Revised Children's Quality of Life Questionnaire (KINDL-R) was used to measure quality of life. The comparison group (n = 6,813) was a representative sample from the German KiGGS study. RESULTS: The proportion of youths with mental health problems (defined as abnormal SDQ total difficulties score) was, based on self-reports, 4.4% in the patient group and 2.9% in the general population (adjusted OR = 1.61, p = 0.044); and based on proxy reports, 7.9% in the patient group and 7.2% in the general population (OR = 1.05, p = 0.788). Youths with type 1 diabetes and self-reported mental health problems scored worse in the KINDL-R subscales of physical well-being (adjusted average difference β = -16.74, p<0.001) and family (β = -11.09, p = 0.017), and in the KINDL-R total score (β = -8.09, p<0.001), than peers with self-reported mental health problems. The quality of life of diabetic adolescents and proxy-reported mental health problems did not differ from peers with proxy-reported mental health problems adjusted for confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the general population with mental health problems, the quality of life of adolescents with type 1 diabetes who report mental health problems is more severely impaired. This observation calls for early prevention and intervention as part of pediatric diabetes long-term care

Eating Frequency and Carbohydrate Intake in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Differ from Those in Their Peers and are Associated with Glycemic Control

Baechle C, Hoyer A, Castillo-Reinado K, et al. Eating Frequency and Carbohydrate Intake in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Differ from Those in Their Peers and are Associated with Glycemic Control. Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology &amp; Diabetes. 2018;126(05):277-286.**Abstract** Aim The diet of people with type 1 diabetes may differ from that of healthy peers due to disease-related factors that may affect the course of diabetes. This cross-sectional study sought to compare meal and snacking frequency and corresponding carbohydrate intake among adolescents with intensively-treated type 1 diabetes and healthy peers and to analyze their association with glycemic control among diabetes patients. Methods Nutritional data of 712 11- to <19-year-olds from a nationwide population-based survey on early-onset type 1 diabetes (52.7% boys/men, mean age 15.6 years) were compared with 949 food records of 296 healthy participants in the DONALD cohort study (49.7% boys, mean age 14.4 years) using linear mixed models. Furthermore, the association between eating frequency and/or carbohydrate intake with glycemic control (HbA1c) was analyzed with multiple linear regression models. Results After comprehensive adjustment, diabetes patients had, on average, 4.6 [95% confidence interval 3.6, 5.5] more meals or snacks/week but consumed 75.9 [64.5, 87.3] fewer grams of carbohydrates/day than the comparison group. Diabetes subjects also consumed breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks more frequently but ate fewer carbohydrates at all eating occasions. Total carbohydrate intake and carbohydrate intake at breakfast were associated with higher HbA1c levels, while increased breakfast frequency was associated with lower HbA1c levels. Conclusion Eating frequency and carbohydrate intake differed between adolescents with early-onset type 1 diabetes and non-diabetic peers. The observed associations with glycemic control challenge the concept of a completely unregulated eating frequency and carbohydrate intake for people on intensified insulin therapy

Symptoms of Eating Disorders and Depression in Emerging Adults with Early-Onset, Long-Duration Type 1 Diabetes and Their Association with Metabolic Control

BACKGROUND: This study analyzed the prevalence of and association between symptoms of eating disorders and depression in female and male emerging adults with early-onset, long-duration type 1 diabetes and investigated how these symptoms are associated with metabolic control. METHODS: In a nationwide population-based survey, 211 type 1 diabetes patients aged 18-21 years completed standardized questionnaires, including the SCOFF questionnaire for eating disorder symptoms and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for symptoms of depression and severity of depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 score). Multiple linear and logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between eating disorder and depressive symptoms and their associations with HbA1c. RESULTS: A total of 30.2% of the women and 9.5% of the men were screening positive for eating disorders. The mean PHQ-9 score (standard deviation) was 5.3 (4.4) among women and 3.9 (3.6) among men. Screening positive for an eating disorder was associated with more severe depressive symptoms among women (βwomen 3.8, p&lt;0.001). However, neither eating disorder symptoms nor severity of depressive symptoms were associated with HbA1c among women, while HbA1c increased with the severity of depressive symptoms among men (βmen 0.14, p=0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Because of the high prevalence of eating disorder and depressive symptoms, their interrelationship, and their associations with metabolic control, particularly among men, regular mental health screening is recommended for young adults with type 1 diabetes

Proportion of adolescents with abnormal SDQ scores in patients with type 1 diabetes compared to KiGGS participants.

<p>* Based on self-reports/proxy reports, abnormal was defined as a score for total difficulties ≥20/≥17, for emotional symptoms ≥7/≥5, for conduct problems ≥5/≥4, for hyperactivity-inattention ≥7/≥7, for peer problems ≥6/≥4, for prosocial behavior <5/<5, and for impact ≥2/≥2 <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0092473#pone.0092473-Goodman3" target="_blank">[25]</a>.</p>†<p>Chi-squared test.</p>‡<p>Diabetes study versus the reference group KiGGS adjusted for age group and sex (Model 1.1).</p>§<p>Diabetes study versus the reference group KiGGS adjusted for age group, sex, socioeconomic status, immigration background, region of residence, family structure, proxy-informant (except self-reports), weight status, and hospitalization during past 12 months (Model 1.2).</p

Self-reported QoL in patients with type 1 diabetes compared to KiGGS by proxy-reported mental health problems.

<p>* Defined as a SDQ score for proxy-reported total difficulties <17 and ≥17, respectively.</p>†<p>Two-sided t-test.</p>‡<p>Estimated average differences between the diabetes study and the KiGGS (reference group) adjusted for age group and sex (Model 2.1).</p>§<p>Estimated average differences between the diabetes study and the KiGGS (reference group) adjusted for age group, sex, socioeconomic status, immigration background, region of residence, family structure, weight status, and hospitalization during past twelve months (Model 2.2).</p

Risk of Microvascular Complications and Macrovascular Risk Factors in Early-Onset Type 1 Diabetes after at Least 10 Years Duration: An Analysis of Three Population-Based Cross-Sectional Surveys in Germany between 2009 and 2016

Aims. To estimate the risk of microvascular complications and macrovascular risk factors among persons with early-onset (diagnosed at ages 0 to <5 years) and long-duration type 1 diabetes and determine temporal trends and associations with potential predictors. Methods. We conducted three population-based cross-sectional surveys in Germany (N=1789) to obtain information on exposures and five outcomes (retinopathy, nephropathy, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and a composite endpoint combining all four outcomes). For each outcome, log-binomial spline regression was applied to estimate the risk and dose-response relationship with diabetes duration and exposures. Results. The risk for microvascular complications increased after 14 years since diabetes diagnosis whereas dyslipidemia and hypertension were already prevalent at 10 years. The 15-year risk (95% confidence interval) of the composite endpoint for female and male patients was 22.9% (18.8%–27.9%) and 19.2% (15.5%–23.8%), respectively. Temporal trends suggested a decreasing risk between 2009 and 2016. Glycemic control, lifestyle-related factors, and SES, but not health care-related factors, were associated with the risk of the composite endpoint. Conclusions. In early-onset type 1 diabetes, there exists a considerable risk of complications and comorbidities already in young ages. Future research should focus on prevention of diabetic complications in young patients and clarification of pathways of the associations found

QoL in patients with type 1 diabetes compared to KiGGS participants differentiated by self-reported mental health problems.

<p>* Clinically important differences between the patient group and the reference group.</p