Diabetes Control and Clinical Outcomes among Children Attending a Regional Paediatric Diabetes Service in Australia

Abstract

Australian children with diabetes commonly struggle to achieve optimal glycaemic control, with minimal improvement observed over the past decade. The scarcity of research in the rural and regional Australian context is concerning, given high incidence rates and prominent barriers to healthcare access in these areas. We conducted a retrospective audit of 60 children attending a regional Australian paediatric diabetes service between January 2020 and December 2023. The majority of patients had type 1 diabetes (n = 57, 95.0%); approximately equal numbers were managed with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) pumps vs. multiple daily injections (MDIs), whilst 88.3% (n = 53) also utilised continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The mean age at last visit was 14.0 years (SD, 3.4), mean diabetes duration 5.8 years (SD, 4.6), and mean HbA1c level 8.1% (65.3 mmol/mol); only 36.8% achieved the national target of 7.5% (58 mmol/mol). Mean BMI-SDS was 0.8 (SD, 1.0); almost half (n = 27, 45.0%) were overweight or obese. Many patients had mental health conditions (31.7%), which were associated with higher hospitalisation rates (p = 0.007). The attendance rate was 83.2%, with a mean of 3.3 clinic visits per year (SD, 0.7); higher attendance rates were associated with increased CGM sensor usage (r = 0.395, p = 0.007 Overall, the diabetes service performed similarly to other clinics with regards to glycaemic control. Whilst achieving treatment targets and addressing comorbidities remains a challenge, the decent attendance and the high uptake of healthcare technologies is commendable. Further efforts are needed to improve diabetes management for this regional community.