Screening Practices for Disordered Eating in Paediatric Type 1 Diabetes Clinics

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Pediatric Health
• Mental Health

Background:

• Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is linked to a higher risk of eating disorders in children and adolescents.
• Effective screening for disordered eating is crucial for early intervention in this vulnerable population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate how well Australasian pediatric T1D clinics follow international guidelines for screening disordered eating.
• To identify challenges and facilitators influencing the use of screening tools for disordered eating in these clinics.

Main Methods:

• A 24-item survey was distributed to Australasian clinics managing at least 150 pediatric patients with T1D.
• The survey assessed clinic characteristics, disordered eating identification practices, screening tool usage, staff training, and referral pathways.

Main Results:

• Ten out of 13 eligible clinics participated. Most reported low rates of disordered eating (<5%).
• All clinics primarily used clinical interviews; only one utilized screening tools, which were not diabetes-specific or routinely employed.
• Key barriers to tool use included time constraints and staff confidence issues (70%), while staff training was an identified enabler.

Conclusions:

• Screening tools for disordered eating are underutilized in most Australasian pediatric T1D clinics.
• The low reported prevalence of disordered eating may indicate underdetection, potentially hindering timely intervention.