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. 2019 May;42(5):859-866.
doi: 10.2337/dc18-2420. Epub 2019 Mar 12.

Disordered Eating Behaviors in Youth and Young Adults With Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes Receiving Insulin Therapy: The SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study

Angel S Y Nip  1 , Beth A Reboussin  2 , Dana Dabelea  3 , Anna Bellatorre  3 , Elizabeth J Mayer-Davis  4 , Anna R Kahkoska  4 , Jean M Lawrence  5 , Claire M Peterson  6 , Lawrence Dolan  6 , Catherine Pihoker  7 ; SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study Group
Collaborators, Affiliations

Disordered Eating Behaviors in Youth and Young Adults With Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes Receiving Insulin Therapy: The SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study

Angel S Y Nip et al. Diabetes Care. 2019 May.

Abstract

Objective: This study examines the prevalence of disordered eating behaviors (DEB) and its associations with glycemic control, insulin sensitivity (IS), and psychosocial functioning in a large, diverse cohort of youth and young adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

Research design and methods: In the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth study, 2,156 youth and young adults with type 1 diabetes (mean ± SD age 17.7 ± 4.3 years; 50.0% female) and 149 youth and young adults with type 2 diabetes (age 21.8 years ± 3.5; 64.4% female) who were receiving insulin therapy completed the Diabetes Eating Problem Survey-Revised (DEPS-R), a self-reported measure for identifying disordered eating. DEB were defined as a DEPS-R score ≥20. Demographic characteristics, clinical measures, and health behaviors of participants with DEB and those without DEB were compared by using t tests.

Results: DEB were observed in 21.2% of participants with type 1 diabetes and 50.3% of participants with type 2 diabetes. Participants encountered challenges in maintaining a healthy weight while controlling their diabetes. For both types of diabetes, individuals with DEB had a significantly higher BMI z score, lower insulin sensitivity, more depressive symptoms, and poorer quality of life than those without DEB. Diabetic ketoacidosis episodes occurred more frequently in youth with type 1 diabetes with DEB compared to those without DEB.

Conclusions: These findings highlight that DEB are prevalent among youth and young adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes and who are receiving insulin therapy, and DEB are associated with poorer clinical outcomes and psychosocial well-being. Heightened awareness and early interventions are needed to address DEB for this at-risk population, as are longitudinal studies evaluating the course of DEB and diabetes outcomes.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Responses to DEPS-R questions scored ≥2 (“sometimes,” “often,” “usually,” or “always”) by study participants with type 1 diabetes and participants with type 2 diabetes.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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