45.6% of Nation’s Teens Have at Least One Chronic Disease, ADHD or Autism

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by News Atlas.

A first-of-its-kind study has found that almost half, 45.6%, of Australian teenagers are living with one or more chronic diseases, including diabetes or asthma, or a developmental condition like ADHD. The study has linked these diseases and conditions to factors such as an unhealthy diet and poor mental health.

Researchers from the Matilda Center for Research in Mental Health and Substance Abuse at the University of Sydney, Australia, have led a first-of-its-kind study investigating links between chronic diseases and developmental conditions in teens and lifestyle behaviors, diet, and mental health.

“Alarmingly, this study shows that one in two Australian teenagers are living with a chronic disease or developmental condition,” said the study’s lead author, Dr Bridie Osman. “These conditions can have a profound impact. They can hinder a teenager’s ability to attend school or sports and can have social and developmental implications. Some of these chronic health conditions can also cause ongoing damage to the immune system and contribute to more severe diseases in later life. This finding is a wake-up call that we need to do more to prioritize the health of young people.”

The researchers collected self-report data from 5,014 Australian adolescents with an average age of just under 15. The sample was evenly split between males and females. Data was collected on chronic diseases and developmental conditions, sex, socioeconomic status, lifestyle behaviors (including dietary intake, screen time, sleep and physical activity), and mental health. The researchers examined this data and how it overlapped with common and emerging health conditions in teenagers, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), asthma, eczema, chronic fatigue, hay fever, food allergies, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, ADHD, and ASD.

Overall, a staggering 45.6% of adolescents reported having at least one of the 10 chronic diseases or developmental conditions the researchers examined. The most prevalent diseases were hay fever (23.2%) and asthma (15.1%); type 2 diabetes was the least prevalent (1.0%). Of the developmental conditions, ADHD was the most prevalent at 9.4%.

Sex affected disease rates, with 53.3% of females reporting having one or more conditions compared to 45.5% of males. Females specifically had higher odds of having eczema, food allergies, hay fever, and more persistent asthma symptoms than males. Whereas males had greater odds of having ADHD, ASD, and type 1 and 2 diabetes compared to females.

Source: News Atlas
https://newatlas.com/health-wellbeing/australia-adolescent-chronic-illness/