BMI Trajectories Among Children Diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus at a Tertiary Diabetes Center

AL Khalifah, Reem Abdullah; Bawahab, Noor Salem; Wadea, Raghad; Gasim, Hala; Alrashed, Alhanouf; Farraj, Samar; Al-Jelaify, Muneera; Alnassir, Bayan; Ragab Saleh, Eman; Alshehri, Asmahan; Al Gadi, Iman

doi:10.3389/fendo.2025.1537860

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Endocrinol.

Sec. Pediatric Endocrinology

Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fendo.2025.1537860

This article is part of the Research Topic The rapidly changing face of Pediatric Diabetes during the Obesity Epidemic View all 5 articles

BMI Trajectories Among Children Diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus at a Tertiary Diabetes Center

Provisionally accepted

Reem Abdullah AL Khalifah ^*

Noor Salem Bawahab

Raghad Wadea

Hala Gasim

Alhanouf Alrashed

Samar Farraj

Muneera Al-Jelaify

Bayan Alnassir

Eman Ragab Saleh

Asmahan Alshehri

Iman Al Gadi

King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Objective: The incidence of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) has increased worldwide, raising concerns about the intersection between T1DM and the rising prevalence of childhood obesity.This study investigates secular trends in body mass index (BMI) at T1DM diagnosis and its trajectory post-diagnosis, focusing on predictors of obesity persistence.: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at a tertiary diabetes center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between January 2015 and December 2023. Children under 14 years diagnosed with T1DM at the center were included, while those diagnosed elsewhere or with other diabetes types were excluded. Data included demographics, BMI z-scores based on Saudi and CDC growth charts, HbA1c levels, and clinical presentations like diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Linear regression assessed secular trends and predictors of baseline BMI z-scores. Results: Among 1160 screened children's charts, 408(35.17%) children met inclusion criteria. At diagnosis, mean age was 7.87±3.53 years, with 161 (39.5%) presenting with DKA. The mean baseline BMI was 16.06±3.62 kg/m², and BMI z-scores were -0.22 ± 1.65 (Saudi growth references) and -0.87 ± 1.92 (CDC growth references). No significant secular trends in BMI zscores, gender, or DKA presentation were observed. Of 59(14.46%) children with baseline overweight/obesity, 46 (77.97%) remained overweight/obese at follow-up (p<0.001). The mean BMI z-score increased to 1.14± 1.64at follow-up, with 113(27.70%) meeting overweight/obesity criteria. Conclusion: Overweight/obesity at diagnosis with T1DM persists at follow-up. Addressing obesity at T1DM diagnosis is crucial for mitigating its long-term metabolic impact. Future research should target interventions addressing lifestyle factors contributing to obesity in children with T1DM.

Keywords: Type 1 diabetes mellitus, Obesity, pediatric, Saudi Arabia (KSA), BMI - body mass index

Received: 01 Dec 2024; Accepted: 24 Feb 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 AL Khalifah, Bawahab, Wadea, Gasim, Alrashed, Farraj, Al-Jelaify, Alnassir, Ragab Saleh, Alshehri and Al Gadi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Reem Abdullah AL Khalifah, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

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