fact sheet
Type 2 diabetes in children and young people:
emerging evidence
Until recently, type 2 diabetes was seldom diagnosed in children, and thus it was considered to be a disease of
adulthood. In recent years there has been an increasing emergence of type 2 diabetes in younger age groups, in part
due to the high rates of overweight and obesity in children and young people—one of the key modifiable risk factors
for type 2 diabetes. Given that type 2 diabetes is largely preventable, there is considerable potential for health, social
and economic gains through effective actions based on the best available evidence.
This fact sheet provides preliminary findings from the AIHW report Type 2 diabetes in Australia’s children and young
people: a working paper. As well as providing the first national early results on type 2 diabetes among children and
young people, this working paper also highlights the challenges, limitations and suitability of existing data collections
in accurately capturing type 2 diabetes in children and how these national data sources can be used for more in–depth
monitoring in the future.
Methods
This working paper uses data that the AIHW prepared in constructing the National Diabetes Register, which is
compiled from combined data from the NDSS—National Diabetes Service Scheme—and APEG—Australasian
Paediatric Endocrine Group—state-based registers. While these data are currently considered the best available source
to monitor type 2 diabetes in children and young people there are several important limitations:
• Undiagnosed diabetes—a person can have type 2 diabetes for a long time without knowing, and therefore it
remains undiagnosed, and complicates the estimation of how many people have diabetes.
• Misdiagnosis—distinguishing between type 1, type 2 and monogenic diabetes in children and adolescents can be
difficult and misdiagnosis can occur.
• Misreporting—self-reported diabetes data requires the correct use of diabetes classification at diagnosis and then
depends on people’s ability to both understand and remember their medical history.
These early results should be interpreted with caution in light of these data limitations in determining type 2 diabetes
among younger Australians.
Key preliminary findings
• As of June 2012 there were around 2,200 children and young people aged 10–24 years diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
• Over the last decade (2002–03 to 2011–12) there were around 4,000 new cases of type 2 diabetes among 10–24 year-olds,
an average of nearly 400 new cases per year. The rates of new cases of diabetes among children and young people
have remained relatively stable over the last decade (Figure 1).
• The incidence of type 2 diabetes increases with age—from 3 new cases per 100,000 population in 10–14 year-olds
to 8 per 100,000 in 15–19 year olds and 16 per 100,000 for those aged 20–24 years. Increasing rapidly thereafter to
73 new cases per 100,000 population in those aged 30–34 and to 441 new cases per 100,000 for those aged
40 and over.
Type 2 diabetes in children and young people: emerging evidence
Note: Age-standardised to the 2001 Australian population.
Source: AIHW analyses of NDSS and APEG records.
Figure 1: Incidence of derived type 2 diabetes in those aged 10–24 by year of diagnosis, by sex, Australia,
2002–03 to 2011–12
Summary
This report by the AIHW is the first national report to highlight the emerging burden of type 2 diabetes in younger
Australians. While the numbers are relatively small and rates have been stable, the preliminary data presented here may
underestimate the true situation given the limitations of the data sources as described above.
Nevertheless, these data provide a baseline against which future monitoring efforts can be compared, and highlight the
need for further research and analysis. Further improvements to data would enable more accurate counts of the number
of children and young people with type 2 diabetes and give better identification of diabetes in this group. The AIHW are
piloting data linkage projects to provide more comprehensive information about diabetes across the life-course.
Further monitoring and surveillance of type 2 diabetes in children and young people is crucial for guiding preventive
measures, determining clinical care and informing health policy and service planning.
For more information
For more information about Type 2 diabetes in children and young people: a working paper, see
<http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=60129546361>.
Type 2 diabetes in children and young people: emerging evidence