Childhood and Youth Type 2 Diabetes Linked to Obesity Quadruples in 13 Years

National Institute of Health Research and Seoul National University Bundang Hospital Analyze Data from 130,000 Patients
Prevalence Continues to Rise Among Young People,
Higher Rates Found in Low-Income Groups

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes, which is primarily associated with obesity, has nearly quadrupled among people under the age of 30 in South Korea over the past 13 years.

Incidence and Prevalence Changes of Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes (Per 100,000 Population Under Age 30). National Institute of Health Research

According to the National Institute of Health Research under the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on August 26, a research team led by Professor Kim Jaehyun from the Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital analyzed National Health Insurance Service claims data for 130,000 diabetes patients under the age of 30 from 2008 to 2021 and reached this conclusion.

In the past, type 1 diabetes was primarily seen in children and adolescents. However, globally, the number of type 2 diabetes patients among adolescents and young adults has been rapidly increasing. Type 1 diabetes is a disease in which blood sugar cannot be regulated due to a lack of insulin secretion caused by autoimmune damage to pancreatic function, and it mainly occurs during childhood and adolescence. Insulin therapy is essential from the initial diagnosis. Type 2 diabetes typically develops after adolescence due to insulin resistance and insufficient insulin secretion, often accompanied by obesity or metabolic syndrome, and is more likely to have a family history.

The study found that the prevalence of type 2 diabetes among people under 30 in South Korea increased 3.7 times, from 73.3 per 100,000 people in 2008 to 270.4 per 100,000 in 2021. The prevalence of type 1 diabetes also rose 2.1 times during the same period, from 21.8 per 100,000 to 46.4 per 100,000.

Regarding incidence (the proportion of newly diagnosed diabetes cases), type 2 diabetes increased 2.2 times from 27.6 per 100,000 to 60.5 per 100,000, while type 1 diabetes showed little change, rising from 3.0 to 3.8 per 100,000.

Changes in the Prevalence of Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes and Risk Differences Between Sexes. National Institute of Health Research

By gender, type 1 diabetes was 26% more common in females, while type 2 diabetes was 17% more common in males. When patients were divided into specific age groups during the same period, the largest increase in type 1 diabetes prevalence was observed in infants and young children (ages 0-5), while type 2 diabetes saw the greatest increase among adolescents (ages 13-18).

There were also differences based on socioeconomic status. Among low-income groups (medical aid recipients), type 1 diabetes occurred 2.9 times more frequently and type 2 diabetes 3.7 times more frequently than in middle- and high-income groups (health insurance subscribers). Additionally, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes was 5.1 times higher among low-income children under 14 and 4.2 times higher among females in the same group.

Park Hyunyoung, Director of the National Institute of Health Research, stated, "The prevalence of diabetes continues to rise among children and young adults, so urgent nationwide management is needed," adding, "It is especially important to ensure health equity for socioeconomically vulnerable groups."

This study utilized the largest and longest-term dataset in South Korea, and its findings were published in the international journal Journal of Korean Medical Science.

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