Prevalence of Eating Behaviors and Their Influence on Metabolic Control of Children With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

Since a comprehensive study of eating disorders in children with type 1 diabetes in the Iranian population is necessary, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence of eating behaviors and metabolic control status of children and adolescents with diabetes mellitus.

The present cross-sectional study aim to explore the prevalence of eating behaviors and their influence on metabolic control of children with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

In this cross-sectional study, all children and adolescents 6 to 12 years old with diabetes were included. First, the prevalence of eating-related behaviors in participants was assessed and recorded. Then the recorded data were statistically analyzed.

The Mean±SD age of the study participants was 8.92±1.925 years. One hundred children with food approach scores above 12.29 had food-approach behaviors, and 78 children with food avoidance scores above 11.85 were classified as having food avoidance behaviors. The relationships between food-approach behaviors and hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) and insulin dose, body mass index (BMI), and lipid profile were significant (P<0.05). Nevertheless, the relationship between these variables and food avoidance behaviors was not significant (P>0.05).

High BMI, high insulin dose, increased lipid levels, and high HbA1c are associated with an increased eating tendency in children. Therefore, these children should be evaluated for disordered eating behaviors.