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Statistics of Children Developing Diabetes in America

The Centers for Disease Control report that diabetes is ranked as one of the leading chronic illnesses for younger children and teens. Approximately 151,000 children and youths 20 years of age and younger have the disease. Normally when children get diabetes, it is Type 1, also called juvenile diabetes. Yet in the past 20 years, this has been changing. Type 2 diabetes, traditionally called adult-onset diabetes, is increasing in incidence in the United States. Studies in Europe show a rise in the amount of Type 1 diabetes, particularly in younger children. At this point, it is not known whether Type 1 diabetes is also on the rise in American youth.

  1. SEARCH Study

    • A SEARCH for Diabetes study from 2002 to 2003 found that 15,000 American youth up until the age of 20 are diagnosed each year with juvenile-onset diabetes. Another 3,700 get adult-onset diabetes for the first time. Type 2 diabetes is normally uncommon under 10 years old for all races and ethnic groups.

    National Diabetes Education Program

    • The National Diabetes Education Program states that the incidence of Type 2 diabetes is increasing as the number of American children and teens decrease their exercise, become more overweight or are affected by obesity. Type 2 diabetes is found more commonly in American blacks, Indians, Hispanics and some Asian and Pacific Islanders. The rise in adult-onset diabetes in youth is a significant sign of the obesity concerns in young people and an increasing health care issue. Obese children are at growing risk for developing Type 2 diabetes while growing up and as adults.

    Prescription Study

    • A study by Cox and colleagues, in a 2008 "Pediatrics" article, analyzed the prescriptions of more than 3 million insured children in the United States. They found that the use of Type 2 antidiabetic pharmaceuticals doubled over the three years of the study. This major increase in the use of adult-onset diabetes medications by American youth is of great concern.

    BMI Study

    • The 2005 to 2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey comparing heights and weights of children found that about 16 to 17 percent of those 2 to 19 years old had a body mass index (BMI) that placed them equal to or above the 95th percentile of the BMI on both the age and sex charts. This is approximately twice as high as 20 years ago. Health care professionals used height and weight measurements to determine a child's physical growth in relation to others the same age for years; now they use the BMI, which assesses the amount of body fat. It compares children on how their BMI relates to others their age. Based on this study, the amount of body fat has increased about two times over the two decades.

    U.S. Hospitalization Trends

    • A study was conducted by Joyce Lee and colleagues for the American Diabetes Association in 2007 regarding the impact of increased diabetes incidence on hospitalization. They found the number of young adults who have been hospitalized with diabetes in the Untied States has also grown significantly since 1997. The authors believe that trends in obesity among American children may "amplify" future diabetes hospitalizations for American children and young adults.

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