Rising Diabetes Among Children and Teenagers: A Global Concern
A recent study published in Frontiers in Endocrinology examined diabetes trends in children and adolescents across 204 countries and regions between 1990 and 2021. The results show a worrying picture: the number of diabetes cases in young people has nearly doubled in the past three decades.
Globally, incidence rose from 25.77 per 100,000 in 1990 to 49.99 per 100,000 in 2021, marking a 94% increase. Type 2 diabetes, which is often linked to lifestyle factors such as poor diet, obesity, and lack of physical activity, now contributes more to this rising burden than type 1 diabetes. However, type 1 diabetes continues to cause more deaths.
Interestingly, while cases have sharply increased, the number of diabetes-related deaths has declined slightly—from 0.39 per 100,000 in 1990 to 0.31 per 100,000 in 2021. This suggests that improvements in healthcare, diagnosis, and treatment are helping more children survive, even though more are being diagnosed.
Geographically, Oceania recorded the highest incidence and death rates, while India and China reported the largest number of total cases. In India, the overall impact of diabetes on children’s health (measured as Disability-Adjusted Life Years, or DALYs) has continued to rise, highlighting an urgent need for prevention and better disease management.
The study identified high fasting blood sugar levels as the main risk factor, with environmental and lifestyle influences also contributing. Researchers project that global incidence will continue to climb over the next 15 years, even as mortality declines further.
In conclusion, the findings reveal a growing health crisis: more children and teenagers are living with diabetes than ever before. Addressing this challenge requires stronger prevention strategies, healthier environments, and early detection programs to protect the younger generation
