Perceived stress in mothers of children with and without islet and coeliac autoimmunity in the Environmental Determinants of Islet Autoimmunity (ENDIA) study
Authors' conclusion
Detection of IA or CA in their child did not increase ongoing maternal perceived stress after 1-2 years in a cohort that received consistent support and education. History of mental health illness and mental health medication use were associated with increased perceived stress in mothers regardless of their child's autoantibody status.
Study context
- Population
- Mothers of children at risk of T1D and coeliac disease in the ENDIA pregnancy-birth cohort
- Participants
- 818 mothers
- Exposure
- Mothers of children with islet autoantibodies (IA) or coeliac autoantibodies (CA) vs Ab negative
- Ab negativen = 642reference
- IA positiven = 97
- CA positiven = 79
- Outcome
- Maternal perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale, range 1-56)
- Follow-up
- Postpartum and child age ≈4 years
Methodological detailsmulticentre
- Multicentre
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Adjusted predicted mean perceived stress score · median 1.8 [IQR 0.8-2.5] (IA) and 1.6 [IQR 0.9-2.3] (CA) years after autoantibody development
Ab negative
23.8
adjusted predicted mean · 95% CI 22.7–24.9
IA positive
22.8
adjusted predicted mean · CI 21.0–24.6
CA positive
25.2
adjusted predicted mean · CI 23.3–27.2
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Predictors of higher perceived stress score at 4 years (exploratory)
- History of mental health illness, β
- 4.66 [3.30, 6.02] (95% CI)
- Mental health medication use, β
- 2.71 [0.64, 4.78] (95% CI)
- Independent of child autoantibody status or maternal T1D status
Original publication
Perceived stress in mothers of children with and without islet and coeliac autoimmunity in the ENDIA study. Diabetologia. Published 6 November 2025. doi:10.
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