Type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents across Australia and New Zealand: A 6-year audit from The Australasian Diabetes Data Network (ADDN)

Objectives: 

To assess the clinical and demographic characteristics of children and adolescents across Australia and New Zealand (NZ) with type 2 diabetes. 

Methods: 

We performed a descriptive audit of data prospectively reported to the Australasian Diabetes Data Network (ADDN) registry. Data were collected from six tertiary pediatric diabetes centers across Australia (New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, and Victoria) and NZ (Auckland). Children and adolescents diagnosed with type 2 diabetes aged ≤ 18 years with data reported to ADDN between 2012 and 2017 were included. Age, sex, ethnicity, HbA1c, blood pressure, BMI, waist circumference and lipid profile at first visit were assessed. 

Results: 

There were 269 cases of type 2 diabetes in youth reported to ADDN between 2012 and 2017. The most common ethnicities were Indigenous Australian in 56/243 (23%) and NZ Maori or Pacifica in 47 (19%). Median age at diagnosis was 13.7 years and 94% of participants were overweight or obese. Indigenous Australian and Maori/Pacifica children were younger at diagnosis compared with nonindigenous children: median 13.3 years (indigenous Australian); 13.1 years (Maori/Pacifica); 14.1 years (nonindigenous), p = 0.005. HbA1c was higher in indigenous Australian (9.4%) and Maori/Pacifica youth (7.8%) compared with nonindigenous (6.7%) p < 0.001. BMI-SDS was higher in Maori/Pacifica youth (2.3) compared with indigenous Australian (2.1) and nonindigenous (2.2) p = 0.011. 

Conclusions: 

Indigenous Australian and Maori/Pacifica youth in ADDN were younger and had worse glycaemic control at diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. Our findings underscore the need to consider targeted and earlier screening in these “high-risk” populations.