What the study found
The study found a rise in type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks insulin-producing cells, among people under 20 in Chile during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also found higher severity at diagnosis, measured by diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a serious diabetes complication caused by a lack of insulin.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that the study provides relevant data after 2021 and on severity. They also suggest that the pattern may support a causal relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and the increase in type 1 diabetes incidence and severity.
What the researchers tested
The researchers did a population-based analysis using a nationwide registry of people under 20 years old with type 1 diabetes from 2007 to 2023. They also analyzed patients under 18 years old from three tertiary centers between 2016 and 2023, and compared DKA proportions between 2016-2019 and 2020-2023.
What worked and what didn't
Type 1 diabetes incidence increased from 7.4 cases per 100,000 people under 20 in 2007 to 13.9 in 2023. Average incidence was higher in the 10- to 14-year age group and in winter, and actual quarterly rates were higher than seasonal SARIMA model predictions from 2020 to 2021, but not significantly different from 2022 to 2023. Among 334 patients, 71% had DKA, and the proportion increased significantly from 64.3% to 75.9% in 2020-2023.
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not describe limitations in detail. The study covers Chilean people under 20 in the registry analysis and under 18 in the severity analysis, so its findings are limited to those groups and settings.
Key points
- Type 1 diabetes incidence in Chile rose from 7.4 to 13.9 per 100,000 people under 20 between 2007 and 2023.
- Incidence was higher in children aged 10 to 14 years and during winter.
- Quarterly incidence was higher than predicted from 2020 to 2021, but not from 2022 to 2023.
- In the clinical sample, 71% of 334 patients had diabetic ketoacidosis at diagnosis.
- DKA increased from 64.3% in 2016-2019 to 75.9% in 2020-2023.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Childhood type 1 diabetes incidence rose during COVID-19 in Chile
- Authors:
- Consuelo Kutz, Gonzalo Alarcón-Andrade, Esteban Aguilera, Carolina Garfias, H Rumié
- Institutions:
- Complejo Asistencial Sótero del Río, Complejo Asistencial Sótero del Río, Hospital Clínico de la Universidad de Chile, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Universidad de Los Andes, Chile, Université André Salifou
- Publication date:
- 2026-04-23
- OpenAlex record:
- View
- Image credit:
- Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich on Pexels · Pexels License
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