Five-region study finds no evidence of undiagnosed type 2 diabetes in Swedish 11- to 13-year-olds

AimChildhood obesity is now an established public health problem in most developed countries, and there is concern about a parallel increase of type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of undiagnosed type 2 diabetes in overweight Swedish school children from 11 to 13years of age. MethodsBody mass index (BMI) was measured in 5528 schoolchildren in the 6th grade, from 11 to 13years of age, in five different regions in Sweden. Overweight was defined by international age- and sex-specific BMI cut-offs, corresponding to adult BMI cut-offs of 25kg/m(2) at 18years of age (ISO-BMI 25, n=1275). Haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was measured in 1126 children with ISO-BMI 25. Children with a Diabetes Control and Complications Trial aligned HbA1c 6.1% on two occasions underwent an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) to establish the diabetes diagnosis. ResultsOf 1126 children with ISO-BMI 25, 24 (2.1%) had at least one HbA1c value 6.1%. Three of them had HbA1c 6.1% on two occasions, and all of them had a normal OGTT. ConclusionIn this cross-sectional, population-based screening study of a high-risk group of 11- to 13-year-old Swedish school children, we found no indication of undiagnosed diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance