Prevalence of Mental, Behavioral, and Developmental Disorders Among Children and Adolescents with Diabetes, United States (2016-2019).

Objective: To assess the association of diabetes and mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders in youth, we examined the magnitude of overlap between these disorders in children and adolescents.

Study Design: In this cross-sectional study, we calculated prevalence estimates using the 2016-2019 National Survey of Children's Health. Parents reported whether their child was currently diagnosed with diabetes or with any of the following mental, behavioral, or developmental disorders: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, learning disability, intellectual disability, developmental delay, anxiety, depression, behavioral problems, Tourette syndrome, or speech/language disorder. We present crude prevalence estimates weighted to be representative of the US child population and adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) adjusted for age, sex, and race/ethnicity.

Results: Among children and adolescents (aged 2-17 years; n = 121 312), prevalence of mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders varied by diabetes status (diabetes: 39.9% [30.2-50.4]; no diabetes: 20.3% [19.8-20.8]). Compared with children and adolescents without diabetes, those with diabetes had a nearly 2-fold higher prevalence of mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders (aPR: 1.72 [1.31-2.27]); mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders (aPR: 1.90 [1.38-2.61]) and developmental, learning, and language disorders (aPR: 1.89 [1.35-2.66]).

Conclusions: These results suggest that approximately 2 in 5 children and adolescents with diabetes have a mental, behavioral, or developmental disorder. Understanding potential causal pathways may ultimately lead to future preventative strategies for mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders and diabetes in children and adolescents.