Incidence of type 1 diabetes
The rate of new cases (incidence) and the resulting absolute number of new cases are key indicators with which to assess the dynamics of type 1 diabetes. Furthermore, the incidence influences the development of the prevalence and the number of people who can be expected to need treatment (Tönnies et al. 2019).
Key messages
- Around 4,100 children and adolescents aged between 0 and 17 were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes for the first time during the 2014 to 2022 observation period every year.
- The incidence of type 1 diabetes is highest among 7- to 13-year-olds, with boys more frequently affected than girls.
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trend
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By state
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By gender
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By age
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By education group
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Results
Between 2014 and 2022, the estimated incidence of type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents aged between 0 and 17 in Germany averaged 29.9 per 100,000 person-years (girls 27.8; boys 32.1). This corresponds to an absolute number of 36,643 new cases (an average of 4,071 per year). The highest incidence per 100,000 person-years for the period between 2014 and 2022 was identified among 7- to 10-year-old girls (39.7) and 11- to 13-year-old boys (45.8). During the 2014-2022 observation period, the incidence of type 1 diabetes increased 2.9 % annually (boys: 3.6 %; girls: 2.1 %), mainly as a result of higher incidence since the beginning of the COVID-19-pandemic.
Conclusion
Nationwide estimates based on registry data show that the incidence of type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents in Germany is increasing. Every year around 4,100 children and adolescents develop type 1 diabetes. Boys are more frequently affected than girls. Analyses based on routine data for the period 2015 to 2021 showed similar incidences.
Show more information on methodology and data sources
Definition
The indicator of the incidence of type 1 diabetes is defined as the number of children and adolescents with a registered or documented new case of type 1 diabetes in one year per 100,000 children and adolescents in the population.
Reference population
Children and adolescents aged between 0 and 17 years who are resident in Germany.
Data Sources
Nationwide and regional diabetes registers (DPV register, ESPED incidence register, North-Rhine Westphalia register, Saxony diabetes register). The data are based on the March 2023 data set from the DPV database.
Calculation
- Description: The frequency of cases per 100,000 children and adolescents aged between 0 and 17 in Germany during the 2014 to 2022 observation period.
- Extrapolation/weighting: The extrapolated population data gathered by the Federal Statistical Office during the 2011 census were used for the nationwide estimates. Results with 95% confidence intervals were estimated using the person-years method. A Poisson distribution of cases was assumed (Woodward 2013; Sahai and Kurshid 1993).
- Standardisation: Estimates were standardised by age and gender and were equally weighted for gender and weighted according to the age range of the age groups.
- Absolute numbers: The sum of the absolute numbers of both genders does not necessarily correspond exactly to the absolute number for the corresponding total group, as the estimates are derived from separate log-linear models.
Data quality
The diabetes registries provide outpatient or inpatient diagnostic data and information on the type of therapy provided to people with statutory and private health insurance. This includes information about people with different types of diabetes and age groups. These data are provided by practices and clinics participating on a voluntary basis. The data quality depends on the practice providing the data. All documentation is subject to a thorough plausibility check. Statistical methods are used for extrapolation and to ensure full coverage of the reference population.