Young children, adolescent girls and women with type 1 diabetes are more overweight and obese than reference populations, and this is associated with increased cardiovascular risk factors

Aim Overweight and obesity are frequently reported in young persons with type 1 diabetes, however its relative magnitude in comparison to the general population is not well understood. This study compared the prevalence of overweight and obesity in young persons with type 1 diabetes to a reference population and explored possible associated factors, including gender, age, HbA1c, insulin regimen, age at diagnosis, diabetes duration, socio‐economic status and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Methods A cross‐sectional review was undertaken of data collected from youth (3–17 years) in 2016 and young adults (18–30 years) in 2015 with a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes for > 3 months attending diabetes centres in Newcastle, Australia. Rates of overweight and obesity were compared with matched population survey results. Results Data from 308 youth and 283 young adults were included. In girls, significantly higher prevalence of overweight and obesity were seen in the 5–8 (43% vs. 18%), 13–16 (41% vs. 27%), 18–24 (46% vs. 34%) and 25–30 (60% vs. 43%) years age groups; whereas in boys increased prevalence was observed in the 5–8 years age group only (41% vs. 18%). Rates of overweight and obesity increased with age across sexes. In youth, BMI standard deviation score was correlated with socio‐economic status, insulin regimen, blood pressure and blood lipids (P