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Association between childhood obesity and subsequent Type 1 diabetes: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Author(s) -
Verbeeten K. C.,
Elks C. E.,
Daneman D.,
Ong K. K.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
diabetic medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.474
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1464-5491
pISSN - 0742-3071
DOI - 10.1111/j.1464-5491.2010.03160.x
Subject(s) - medicine , obesity , type 2 diabetes , childhood obesity , odds ratio , meta analysis , diabetes mellitus , cohort study , body mass index , pediatrics , overweight , endocrinology
Diabet. Med. 28, 10–18 (2011) Abstract Aims To review and synthesize the published evidence on the possible association between childhood obesity and the subsequent risk of Type 1 diabetes. Methods The PubMed database was systematically searched for studies using childhood obesity, BMI or %weight‐for‐height as the exposure variable and subsequent Type 1 diabetes as the outcome. Studies were only included if assessment of obesity preceded the diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes. Results Eight case–control studies and one cohort study were included, comprising a total of 2658 cases. Of these nine studies, seven reported a significant association between childhood obesity, BMI or %weight‐for‐height and increased risk for Type 1 diabetes. Meta‐analysis of the four studies that reported childhood obesity as a categorical exposure produced a pooled odds ratio of 2.03 (95% CI 1.46–2.80) for subsequent Type 1 diabetes; however, in those studies, age at obesity assessment varied from age 1 to 12 years. A dose–response relationship was supported by a continuous association between childhood BMI and subsequent Type 1 diabetes in a meta‐analysis of five studies (pooled odds ratio 1.25 (95%CI 1.04–1.51) per 1 sd higher BMI). Conclusion There is overall evidence for an association between childhood obesity, or higher BMI, and increased risk of subsequent Type 1 diabetes. Several theories have been proposed for a causal relationship. Reduction in Type 1 diabetes should be considered as a potential additional benefit of preventing childhood obesity.