Disordered eating behaviors in youths with type 1 diabetes during COVID-19 lockdown: an exploratory study

Recent research indicates that patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are at higher risk for disordered eating behaviors (DEBs) than their peers without diabetes. The present study aimed to explore the prevalence of DEBs in a sample of Italian children and adolescents with T1D and in matched-pair healthy controls during the COVID-19 lockdown.

In a cross-sectional study, 138 children and adolescents with T1D (aged 8.01-19.11 years, 65 boys) attending a Southern Italian diabetic service and 276 age- and gender-matched healthy peers voluntarily completed an online survey about eating behaviors (ChEAT and EAT-26), anthropometric characteristics, and clinical characteristics.

8.69% (N = 12) of participants with T1D and 13.4% (N = 37) of controls had ChEAT/EAT-26 scores indicating presence of DEBs, with no differences between patients-whether children (total ChEAT score F(1, 157) = .104, p = .748) or adolescents (total EAT-26 score F(1, 255) = .135, p = .731)-and healthy peers. zBMI values were lower than those measured in the latest diabetes visit (p < .0001), while HbA1c values remained unchanged (p = .110). In both groups, adolescents had lower Oral Control scores than children (T1D: F(1, 138) = 20.411, p < .0001, η² = .132, controls: F(1, 276) = 18.271, p < .0001, η² = .063); additionally, gender (female) and age were found to be significant predictors of several ChEAT/EAT-26 scores.

This exploratory study suggested that children and adolescents with T1D did not experience more DEB symptoms during the COVID-19 lockdown compared to healthy controls. Results revealed DEBs as more of a female adolescent developmental issue rather than a result of the challenges of living with a chronic illness under quarantine measures. Possible effects of parental pressure on their children's eating behaviors in the context of home confinement and of using a non-diabetes-specific measure to assess DEBs are discussed.