P-325: Association between health-related quality of life and weight status in youth with type 1 diabetes
J Forster, A Landry, N Coles, B BoyackAbstract
Introduction
Youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are at increased risk of obesity which can adversely impact glycemic outcomes and cardiometabolic health. Despite a growing prevalence of obesity in this population, the relationship between weight status and diabetes-specific health related quality of life (HRQoL) remains poorly understood.
Objectives
To evaluate the association between HRQoL and the BMI z-score in adolescents with T1D attending a community diabetes clinic.
Methods
This cross-sectional study included 302 youth with T1D. Diabetes-specific HRQoL was measured using Type 1 Diabetes and Life (T1DAL) survey. Weight status was categorized using WHO BMI z-score classifications. Bivariate associations were evaluated using Pearson correlation coefficients. Multiple linear regression was performed to assess the relationship between BMI z score and HRQoL, adjusting for age, sex, diabetes duration and HbA1C
Results
58.7% of participants were classified as normal weight, 23.8% as overweight and 15.2% as obese, with 39% meeting criteria for either overweight or obesity. The mean T1DAL score in the cohort was 66.9 ± 15.7. BMI z-score was not significantly correlated with T1DAL total score (r=-0.082; p= 0.157); however, it was negatively correlated with family relationships subscale (r=-0.115, p=0.045). T1DAL scores in overweight/obese youth with T1D did not differ from their normal weight peers (65.4±16.6 vs. 67.9±15.1, p=0.170). In the adjusted regression analysis, BMI z-score was not independently associated with T1DAL total score, (β= -0.30, 95% CI -1.67 to 1.06, p=0.661).
Conclusions
Weight status was not significantly associated with diabetes specific HRQoL in this cohort of youth with T1D. This finding contrasts with the well described negative relationship between obesity and HRQoL observed in otherwise healthy youth. Future research should focus on understanding this difference and whether diabetes-specific HRQoL measures are able to capture potential obesity-related impairments on HRQoL.