Diabetes Incidence in 0- to 14-Year Age-Group in Italy
A 10-year prospective study
- Flavia Carle, PHD1,
- Rosaria Gesuita, PHD1,
- Graziella Bruno, MD2,
- Giovanni V. Coppa, MD3,
- Alberto Falorni, MD4,
- Renata Lorini, MD5,
- Marco E. Martinucci, MD6,
- Paolo Pozzilli, MD7,
- Francesco Prisco, MD8,
- Marco Songini, MD9,
- Maria T. Tenconi, MD10,
- Valentino Cherubini, MD3 and
- for the RIDI Study Group*
- 1Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Medical Information Technology, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
- 2Department of Internal Medicine, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
- 3Institute of Pediatrics, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
- 4Department of Internal Medicine and Endocrine and Metabolic Sciences, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
- 5Department of Pediatrics, G. Gaslini Institute, University of Genova, Genova, Italy
- 6Regional Centre for Diabetes in Children and Adolescents, Department of Pediatrics, A. Meyer Hospital, Firenze, Italy
- 7University Campus BioMedico, Roma, Italy
- 8Department of Pediatrics, II University of Napoli, Napoli, Italy
- 9Centre for Diabetes & Metabolic Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, S. Michele Hospital, Cagliari, Italy
- 10Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Address correspondence and reprint requests to Valentino Cherubini, Department of Pediatrics, Polytechnic University of Marche Via Corridoni, 11 I-60123 Ancona, Italy. E-mail: cherubini{at}univpm.it
Abstract
OBJECTIVE—The Registry for Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in Italy (RIDI) Study Group was established to coordinate the registries of type 1 diabetes in Italy. This report is based on 3,606 children younger than 15 years diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and prospectively registered during 1990–1999 by nine centers, covering >35% of the Italian population.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Registries were pooled in four geographic macro-areas: north, central, south, and insular. The completeness of registration was assessed by the capture-recapture method. Poisson regression analysis was used to evaluate temporal trend in incidence.
RESULTS—Large variations in incidence were confirmed not only between Sardegna and the mainland but also among peninsular areas. In Sardegna, there was an excess of boys (the boy-to-girl incidence ratio was 1.4). The overall incidence showed average increases of 3.6% (P < 0.001) and 3.7% (P < 0.001) per year in peninsular Italy and in Sardegna, respectively. Significant increases in incidence rates were found in boys aged 10–14 years (6.7%, 95% CI 0.5–13.3) and in girls aged 5–9 years (6.6%, 0.5–13.1) living in the southern area. The incidence rate also increased in boys aged 10–14 years (5.0%, 0.3–10) and in girls aged 0–4 years (4.9%, 0.8–9.1) living in Sardegna.
CONCLUSIONS—Italy is a country with large geographical variations in incidence rates of type 1 diabetes. However, the rates are evenly increasing both in the mainland and Sardegna, suggesting that similar environmental factors are operating over populations that have different genetic backgrounds.
