Social disadvantage, family composition, and diabetes mellitus: prevalence and outcome

Objective-To investigate the relation between social disadvantage and family composition on diabetes prevalence and diabetes care outcome. Design-Retrospective audit in the south west of England of 801 children with diabetes mellitus. Main outcome measures-Prevalence of diabetes in relation to the Townsend index. Admissions to hospital with diabetes related problems, glycated haemoglobin, time spent in hospital, outpatient attendance rates. Results-There was no association between social status and diabetes prevalence. Social deprivation increased the likelihood of admission for hypoglycaemia. Children living with a single parent were more likely to be admitted to hospital with a diabetes related problem and stay in hospital longer. Having either a parent with diabetes or a single parent increased the rates of clinic nonattendance. No association was identified between medium term diabetes control and either social disadvantage or single parent status. Conclusions-Social disadvantage has no effect on diabetes prevalence and little on diabetes outcome in childhood. Family structure and parental diabetes have adverse effects on some aspects of diabetes outcome.