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Incidence of IDDM in German children aged 0-14 years. A 6-year population-based study (1987-1993)
1Children's Hospital, University of Tuebingen, Germany. andreas.neu@uni-tuebingen.de
Insights
Newly diagnosed childhood diabetes in Germany affects 11.6 per 100,000 children, a higher rate than previously thought. This study provides the first internationally comparable data on pediatric diabetes incidence in Germany.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Limited data exists on childhood diabetes incidence in Germany.
- Previous assumptions underestimated the prevalence of pediatric diabetes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of newly diagnosed diabetes in children in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany.
- To establish internationally comparable data for childhood diabetes in Germany.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective data collection from 1,160 children diagnosed between 1987-1993.
- Utilized hospital records and a patient association questionnaire.
- Employed the capture-mark-recapture method for 96.2% ascertainment.
Main Results:
- The incidence rate was 11.6 per 100,000 children (0-14 years).
- No significant gender disparity in incidence rates.
- Observed seasonal variations, increased incidence with age, and peaks in early childhood and prepuberty.
Conclusions:
- Provides the first internationally comparable incidence data for childhood diabetes in Germany.
- The actual incidence is significantly higher than previously estimated.
- Highlights the need for updated public health strategies for pediatric diabetes.
Objective:
Generally accepted data on the incidence of childhood diabetes in Germany have not been available up to now. To register the total number of newly diagnosed cases in Baden-Wuerttemberg (a federal state in southwest Germany), data on 1,160 children were retrospectively collected for the years 1987-1993.
Research Design And Methods:
Hospital records were the primary data source. There were 32 hospital units in Baden-Wuerttemberg included in this study. A secondary independent data source was a questionnaire circulated among the patients' association, Deutscher Diabetiker Bund. Case definition was done according to criteria EURODIAB ACE, a collaborative European study set up to assess the incidence of childhood diabetes. The degree of ascertainment was 96.2%, using the capture-mark-recapture method. The study includes a population at risk, entailing 1.5 million children, corresponding to 12.3% of all German children.
Results:
The incidence was found to be 11.6/100,000 (95% CI 10.9-12.2) for children aged 0-14 years. There was no significant difference between the incidence rates of boys and girls. Seasonal variation was observed, with cases increasing between November and February and incidence increasing with age. Peaks were found in early childhood (3-4 years of age) and prepuberty (10-12 years of age). There was marked geographical variation that did not correlate significantly with population density.
Conclusions:
For the first time, internationally comparable data on the incidence of diabetes in children up to 15 years of age are available for Germany. The yearly incidence of 11.6/100,000 proved to be much higher than assumed so far.