The prevalence of prediabetes is high and has rapidly increased, independent of the degree of obesity, in Finnish children with overweight or obesity
Authors' conclusion
Prediabetes was decidedly prevalent in pediatric patients with obesity and was associated particularly with steatotic liver disease. Its prevalence increased steeply over time, independent of the degree of obesity.
Study context
- Population
- Finnish children with overweight or obesity and population-representative controls; prediabetes = fasting glucose 5.6–6.9 mmol/L or 2h-post-challenge glucose 7.8–11.0 mmol/L
- Participants
- 602 vs 483
- Exposure
- Children with overweight/obesity examined in healthcare vs population-representative controls
- Patientsn = 602
- Controlsn = 483reference
- Outcome
- Prevalence of prediabetes and T2D, temporal trends and associated factors
Methodological detailspatient and population cohorts, logistic regression
- Patient and population cohorts
- Logistic regression
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Prevalence of prediabetes
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Prevalence of T2D
| Outcome | Patients | Controls |
|---|---|---|
| Obesity | 89.2% | 3.3-4.7% |
Factors associated with prediabetes/T2D in patients (age-adjusted)
- MASLD, OR
- 1.69 (1.01-2.80) (95% CI)
- Acanthosis nigricans, OR
- 1.83 (1.05-3.21) (95% CI)
- Adjusted for age
Temporal trend in prediabetes prevalence among patients · 2002-2004 to 2017-2019
- Prevalence 2002-2004
- 11.4%
- Prevalence 2017-2019
- 50.0%
- OR (CI), p
- 1.16 (1.10-1.21), p < 0.001
- Without concurrent changes in degree of obesity, BMI, other metabolic conditions, age, sex, or gestational/neonatal factors
Maternal prepregnancy/pregnancy overweight over time
- Increase
- 20.0-68.8%
- OR (CI), p
- 1.14 (1.08-1.21), p < 0.001
Original publication
The prevalence of prediabetes is high and has rapidly increased, independent of the degree of obesity, in Finnish children with overweight or obesity. Int J Obes (Lond). Published 18 November 2025. doi:10.
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