Psychological reasons could promote diabetes in children
As diabetes in adults affects more and more people around the world, diabetes in children continues to increase as well. The genetic factor is one of the biggest risk factors for the onset of diabetes, including type 1 diabetes , in children. But other factors can also come into play, in particular the psychological factor . This is what a team of Swedish scientists wanted to demonstrate.
The study
Dr. FROSTELL Anneli and her colleagues from the University of Linköping in Sweden conducted a study on the psychological impact on type 1 diabetes in children (1) . The study was conducted from 1999 to 2002 on 10,500 children born between October 1, 1997 and September 30, 1999. A questionnaire was also distributed to the parents of these children during the study. This questionnaire mainly concerns their family life .
The results
The results show that among the 10,500 children participating in the study, 58 of them presented with type 1 diabetes. The results show that the risk of presenting with diabetes was 3 times higher in children who had experienced great stress. during their childhood. This stress could be due to many causes such as the separation of children, the loss of a loved one, illness or family conflicts. This risk has been observed even without any genetic predisposition of the child to present with diabetes. Of course, we must still remain cautious about these results, other studies to support them being in progress.
Stress is, in biology, the set of responses of an organism subjected to pressures or constraints from its environment. These responses always depend on the individual’s perception of the pressures he feels. Stress is different from anxiety, the latter is an emotion whereas stress is a response mechanism that can lead to different emotions, including anxiety.
This study therefore pushes us to ask ourselves even more questions about stress, also called “the evil of the century” and its negative impact on everyday life. Indeed, this can be responsible for the appearance of diabetes in children, but it can also be involved in the appearance of other diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases for example.
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.