Determination of Malnutrition Status of Children with Diabetes During Diagnosis

Abstract Purpose The aim of this study was to determine the malnutrition status at the time of diagnosis in children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM). Materials and methods 72 children who applied to the Okmeydani Training and Research Hospital Child Endocrinology Outpatient Clinic between February 2019 and June 2019 and were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes were included in this study. Anthropometric measurements used in the diagnosis of malnutrition including head and mid-upper arm circumference and skin fold thickness as well as body weight and height of children were evaluated. In addition, the STRONGkids screening scale was also used for screening malnutrition and the results were compared with anthropometric measurements regarding consistency. Results Only 4 patients out of 72 were under age 5; thus, we did not include head circumferences in the comparative analysis. There was no significant difference in terms of frequency and severity of malnutrition according to gender or age groups (p > 0.05). The negative correlation between STRONGkids risk levels and anthropometric measurements was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Conclusion Weight loss, one of the most common symptoms in the pre-diagnosis process, should be considered among children with diabetes.