ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: The overall age-adjusted incidence of type 1 diabetes (T1DM) varied from 0.1/100,000 per year in China and Venezuela to 36.8/100,000 per year in Sardinia and 36.5/100,000 per year in Finland. This represents a 350-fold variation in the incidence among the 100 populations Worldwide. In the early 1990s, T2DM it was representing about 3 percent only of pediatric diabetes in the United States, but by 2003, T2DM reached about 20 percent of pediatric diabetes.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of T1DM, T2DM and the percentage of familial diabetes among these children aged 0–14 years in Qatar over 5 years period from2012 to 2016.

Design and methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of the incidence of childhood T1DM, T2DM and the percentage of familial diabetes in children aged 0–14 years that were diagnosed with diabetes from 2012 to 2016 in Qatar. Identified case subjects during this time period were ascertained from several sources and verified using the capture-recapture technique. Data were obtained from the only Pediatric Diabetes center, Hamad Medical Center (HMC) in Qatar.

Results: Over the study period, 473 children aged 0–14 years in Qatar were diagnosed diabetes, 431of them were T1DM and 42 were T2DM. The incidence of diabetes in this population over the period 2012–2016 inclusive was 29.88 with a 95% CI of 30.5. This incidence is significantly higher compared to the pervious incidence reported over the period 2006–2011 (inclusive of 24.88/ 100,000). No gender difference found in T1DM. The incidence of T2DM was higher in female (1.5:1). Familial diabetes formed 14.69% of cases of DM (Both T1DM and T2DM). T1DM had the highest incidence during autumn and winter seasons.

Discussion: Several studies reported large variations in T1DM in the MENA region. The incidence among Arab countries ranges from a low of 2.54/100,000 in Oman to a high of 29/100,000 in Saudi Arabia. These variations can be attributed to the vast diversity of socioeconomic status among Arabs, wide geographical range, and differences in marriage culture practices.

Conclusion: Qatar has a relatively high incidence of T1DM and T2DM compared to many Arab countries. The incidence increased over the period 2012-2016 compared to previous years. Familial cases formed 14.69% of these children with DM.