Obesity and diabetic control as predictors for depression in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus

Abstract

ABSTRACT We aimed to screen for depression among a sample of adolescents with type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) and to determine the impact of obesity and poor diabetic control as potential risk factors. One hundred adolescents with T1DM (aged between 14 and 18 years) were randomly selected and subjected to detailed history, physical examination, and laboratory investigations. BMI and Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) were measured. The “PHQ-9“ questionnaire- Arabic version was used to screen for depression. We found that 51% of the sample was at moderate to severe risk for depression. There was a statistically significant association between the depression and older age and female gender. Depression severity was positively correlated with HbA1c, frequency of hospital admission, presence of diabetic complications and the degree of obesity. In this study, the best cut-off points that could predict depression in T1DM adolescent patients were: HbA1c of >10.1 or more, while the best cut-off point regarding BMI was found to be more than >22.3 Kg/m2. We can conclude adolescents with T1DM are at increased risk for depression especially females, with poor diabetic control and overweight problems.