RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Research Proposal: Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus among Saudi school children

[Name of the Institute]

Research Proposal: Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus among Saudi school children

The Problem

Diabetes mellitus is a condition characterized by a relative insulin deficiency resulting in an abnormal fuel-hormone response, especially when challenged by the ingestion of food. This abnormal fuel-hormone response involves decreased storage and utilization of fuels and results in elevated blood levels of glucose, free fatty acids, and ketones. Diabetes results from a deficiency in the insulin-secretary mechanism of the beta cells of the pancreas, a faulty insulin receptor site on the cell surfaces of liver, adipose, and muscle tissue, and/or a metabolic defect in the cell itself. These problems are sufficiently present in children. This study aims to identify the factors which are responsible for the prevalence of Type 1 Diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in school children of Saudi Arabia

Prevalence of Type 1 Diabetes mellitus

In Saudi Arabia, the incidence rate of T1DM was estimated among children is between 0-14 years in 2003 to be 12.3 cases per 100,000 per year, while the overall prevalence is 0.23%. Diabetes contributes to children and adolescent deaths worldwide; however the children in Saudi Arabia are most affected form the disease. The premature mortality has been largely attributed to non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular mortality accounts for about three-quarters of deaths in individuals with diabetes. Diabetes also contributes substantially to cardiovascular morbidity, increasing the risk of coronary heart disease by two to three times In addition to macro vascular complications, diabetes increases the risk of micro vascular diseases including nephropathy, retinopathy and neuropathy. Diabetic nephropathy is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease in Saudi Arabia (Sullivan-Bolyai, Rosenberg, Bayard, 2006, pp. 24-31).

Background of the Study

British Diabetic Association indicated that diabetes is the one of the leading causes of death in Saudi Arabia, and T1DM is one of the most common chronic diseases in children, affecting approximately 1 out of 500 children. The complexity of daily care for children with T1DM presents ongoing challenges and adaptations for families, varying with the developmental level of the child. Although T1DM can occur at any age, the incidence increases with age, peaking at puberty. For children diagnosed when they are less than 10 years old, most diabetes is T1DM, regardless of race or ethnicity. In children 10 to 19 years, T1DM is the major type of diabetes found in school children of Saudi Arabia. Recent prospective national and international registries report a steep rise in T1DM in youth less than 5 years of age. Epidemiological studies in Saudi Arabia and around the world have identified environmental risk factors that may be contributing to this rising trend in early onset paediatric T1DM (British Diabetic Association, 1992, pp. 224-231). These factors include older maternal age, increased birth weight, early introduction of cow's milk proteins, and an increased rate of postnatal growth. Higher birth weight and early child growth in height, weight, and body mass index have been associated with a greater risk for ...