Association of environmental markers with childhood type 1 diabetes mellitus revealed by a long questionnaire on early life exposures and lifestyle in a case-control study

Abstract

BackgroundThe incidence of childhood type 1 diabetes (T1D) incidence is rising in many countries, supposedly because of changing environmental factors, which are yet largely unknown.\n\nPurposeTo unravel environmental markers associated with T1D. Methods: Cases were children with T1D from the French Isis-Diab cohort. Controls were schoolmates or friends of the patients. Parents were asked to fill a 845-item questionnaire investigating the childs environment before diagnosis. The analysis took into account the matching between cases and controls. A second analysis used propensity score methods.\n\nResultsWe found a negative association of several lifestyle variables, gastroenteritis episodes, dental hygiene, hazelnut cocoa spread consumption, wasp and bee stings with T1D, consumption of vegetables from a farm and death of a pet by old age.\n\nConclusionsThe found statistical association of new environmental markers with T1D calls for replication in other cohorts and investigation of new environmental areas.