Incidence of type 1 diabetes in Chilean children between 2006 and 2021: significant increase during the COVID-19 pandemic

Aims An increase in type 1 diabetes (T1D) incidence has been observed in several countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this study is to determine T1D incidence trends in Chilean children between 2006 and 2021, and specifically evaluate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic in this population. Methods We reviewed mandatory notifications of T1D in Chile's public and private health system in youth < 20 years between 2006 and 2021, and compared COVID-19 pre-pandemic and pandemic incidence. Results In Chile, 9472 new T1D cases in children were confirmed between 2006 and 2021. The mean annual T1D incidence in the entire period was 12.7/100,000 inhabitants, with an incidence of 11.7/100,000 between 2006 and 2019 vs. 20.2/100,000 during 2020–2021 ( β = 0.691, [95%CI 0.479–0903], p < 0.001.) The highest incidence was observed in the 10–14 years age group, but a significant increasing incidence was observed in all age groups. The second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2021, had the highest incidence rate of the study period. While a 5% mean annual increase was observed between 2006 and 2019, in 2021 the T1D incidence jumped 28.5% compared with the two previous years. We found a higher T1D incidence in population with private insurance than public insurance (14.8 vs. 11.7/100.000, respectively, RR = 1.26 [95%CI 1.03–1.53], p < 0.027). Conclusions T1D incidence rates in Chilean youth doubled between 2006 and 2018, subsequently presenting a striking increase during the COVID-19 pandemic.