Fitness, Food, and Biomarkers: Characterizing Body Composition in 19,634 Early Adolescents

Health-Related Quality of Life of Adolescents and Children With Type 1 Diabetes in the Jazan Region of Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is increasingly prevalent among Saudi Arabian youth, particularly in the Jazan region. This chronic condition necessitates lifelong insulin therapy and poses significant daily management challenges for affected adolescents. Despite the high incidence rates, there is a notable lack of research into how T1DM impacts the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of these individuals.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess HRQoL and its demographic correlates in T1DM patients in the Jazan region of Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 236 T1DM patients completed the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Diabetes Module 3.0 (PedsQL DM). The HRQoL across domains of diabetes symptoms, treatment barriers, adherence, worry, and communication was compared by gender, nationality, age, education, residence, and healthcare follow-up using t-tests and ANOVA. Multivariate regression identified predictors of overall HRQoL.

RESULTS

Most respondents were female (51.3%), 42.8% were between the ages of seven and 12 years, and 94.5% were Saudi nationals. Males reported better HRQoL than females, with fewer symptoms, treatment barriers, and better communication (all p<0.05). Non-Saudis had better treatment adherence, communication, and overall HRQoL than Saudis (all p<0.05). Older children (13-18 years) reported lower treatment barriers than younger children (three to six years) (p<0.05). Those with intermediate education had lower treatment barriers than those with preliminary education (p = 0.038). Only the female gender (-0.171, p = 0.009) independently predicted poorer overall HRQoL.

CONCLUSION

This study revealed disparities in HRQoL among T1DM children and adolescents. Males, non-Saudis, older children, and those with more education had better HRQoL. Females were at particular risk for poorer outcomes. Targeted interventions are needed to address this region's demographic disparities in diabetes-related HRQoL.

Getting them through the door: Social and behavioral determinants of uptake and engagement in an obesity intervention

Using data from a large-scale screening program (N = 19634), we aimed to prospectively identify factors predicting uptake (i.e. acceptance of the invitation) and engagement (i.e. participation in at least two sessions) in a multi-component-intensive-behavioral-intervention for obesity-management (MBIOM) intervention targeting adolescents (n = 2862; 12-14 years; BMI ≥90th percentile). Approximately one third of adolescents most in need of weight management declined the initial invitation to enter the MBIOM. Poor diet, sedentary behavior, and parental education predicted willingness to enter and stay in the intervention, however measured body mass index did not matter. Perceived family support, instead of initial motivation, facilitated engagement. Our results provide new insights on the importance of regional socio-geographical factors including trust in local authorities.

The Analysis of the Correlations between BMI and Body Composition among Children with and without Intellectual Disability

Background: Compared to the great volume of studies focusing on children and adolescents without intellectual disability, research regarding body mass index among young populations (13−17 years old) with intellectual disability is scarce, mostly when we refer to the comparisons between various degrees of intellectual disability and gender. Methods: The purpose of this study was to assess a series of morphofunctional parameters among children with and without intellectual disability to characterise the morphofunctional normality and its perturbations. Within the study, we included 101 subjects from several educational institutions, distributed on five groups, by their gender and degree of intellectual disability. Results: The average values of body mass index exceed the values recommended by the WHO among all the five groups (boys and girls with and without intellectual disabilities) prone to obesity. Upon analysing the values of BMI by gender and type of intellectual disability, we note that the prevalence of obesity among boys is 28.07% (BMI > 24), while 19.29% are overweight (BMI ranging between 21.5 and 24). Conclusions: The prevalence of excess weight and obesity among persons with intellectual disabilities was similar among the male and female subjects. It shows an increasing trend by age.