Diabetes Metab J.  2020 Dec;44(6):866-874. 10.4093/dmj.2020.0212.

Incidence and Prevalence of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus among Korean Children and Adolescents between 2007 and 2017: An Epidemiologic Study Based on a National Database

• Chae HW
• Seo GH
• Song K
• Choi HS
• Suh J
• Kwon A
• Ha S
• Kim HS

• KMID: 2513050
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4093/dmj.2020.0212

Abstract

Background
The incidence of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) among children is high in Europe and the USA and relatively low in Asia, including Korea. The present study aimed to investigate the incidence and prevalence of childhood-onset T1DM in Korea and examine trends in incidence.
Methods
This study was conducted using the national registry data provided by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service in Korea from 2007 to 2017. We included children aged 0 to 14 years who were newly registered with a T1DM diagnosis each year (code E10).
Results
A total of 29,013 children were registered. The overall incidence of T1DM was 4.45 per 100,000 persons (girls, 4.93; boys, 4.01). The overall incidence of childhood-onset T1DM in Korea increased from 3.70 in 2008 to 4.77 in 2016 (P=0.002). The incidence of T1DM increased from 3.07 in 2008 to 4.89 in 2016 (P<0.001) among boys. Although the incidence of the disease increased significantly among boys aged 5–9 and 10–14 years, it remained constant among girls (4.39 in 2008, 4.64 in 2016). The overall prevalence of childhood-onset T1DM in Korea increased from 32.85 in 2007 to 41.03 per 100,000 persons in 2017 (girls, 35.54 to 43.88; boys, 32.85 to 41.03).
Conclusion
We calculated relatively accurate incidence and prevalence of childhood-onset T1DM from a nation-based registry. The incidence increased by 3% to 4% every year from 2007 to 2017. The increasing trend is noteworthy compared with previous reports.

Keyword

Diabetes mellitus, type 1; Epidemiology; Incidence; Prevalence

Figure

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  Fig. 1. Study design and number of subjects for investigating the incidence of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in Korean children. ICD-10, World Health Organization’s International Classifications of Diseases, Tenth Revision.

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  Fig. 2. Gender-specific annual incidence (per 100,000 persons) of type 1 diabetes mellitus among Korean children.

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  Fig. 3. Distribution of type 1 diabetes mellitus among Korean children according to month from 2008 to 2016.

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