Overeating, binge eating, quality of life, emotional difficulties, and HbA1c in adolescents with type 1 diabetes: A Danish national survey

Abstract

Aims: To determine 1) the prevalence of symptoms of overeating (OE), subclinical binge eating (SBE) and clinical binge eating (CBE), in adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D), and 2) their associations with quality of life (QoL), anxiety, depression, HbA_1c, and body mass index standard deviation score (BMISDS).

Methods: In total 506 adolescents (age 12-17 years; mean 14.7 years; girls 49%) from the Danish Registry for Diabetes in Childhood and Adolescence (DanDiabKids) were included. Participants completed questionnaires on disordered eating, QoL, and emotional difficulties. A blood sample was sent for HbA_1c determination. BMISDS was determined from the DanDiabKids data.

Results: Prevalence rates of OE, SBE, and CBE were 8.4%, 18% and 7.9% respectively. Youth with CBE symptoms scored lowest on generic and diabetes specific QoL, highest on anxiety and depression symptoms, and had a higher HbA_1c. Youth with CBE had borderline increased BMISDS.

Conclusions: In a Danish national survey of adolescents with T1D, approximately one-third of participants had overeating or binge eating symptoms, comparable with the numbers in a U.S T2D population. Increased binge eating symptoms associated with lower QoL, higher depression scores, higher anxiety scores, and poorer clinical outcomes. Binge eating symptoms were markers for poor mental and somatic health.

Keywords: Adolescent diabetes; Binge eating symptoms; Emotional difficulties; HbA(1c); Quality of life; Type 1 diabetes.