Al-Roomi Diana, Srour Mohammed, Al-Amouri Fatima, Badrasawi Manal
Healthy Nutrition Department, Medicine and Health Sciences College, University of Palestine, Gaza, State of Palestine.
Department of Nutrition and Food Technology, Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Al-Najah National University, P.O. Box 7, West Bank, Tulkarm, State of Palestine.
East Mediterr Health J. 2025 Mar 3;31(2):109-115. doi: 10.26719/2025.31.2.109.
The war in Gaza has led to the destruction of health centres and medication shortages, impacting the most vulnerable groups, including children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D).
To determine how the conflict in Gaza has affected the care of children with T1D.
We collected data from 29 patients with T1D, aged ≤18 years, between June and July 2024 using an online questionnaire, and analysed the data using SPSS version 21. The data included their sociodemographic characteristics, medical history, diabetes-related data, the impact of war on T1D, and lifestyle changes.
Of the 29 patients, 86.2% of their parents reported a decline in their children's activity levels, 17.2% due to fear, and 58.6% reported that their child's average weight loss was 2.6±2.7 (range 0-10) kg. Most patients (79.3%) were unable to receive adequate diabetes care during the war. As a result, 10.3% were hospitalized due to a diabetic emergency. At the family level, 79.3% of the patients' families experienced food insecurity and 96.6% had limited food choices. And 41.4% said their foods may not have been compliant with a diabetes diet requirement.
Children with T1D in Gaza could not receive adequate diabetic care due to the war and experienced food insecurity with limited food choices, medication shortages and poor glycaemic controls. There is a critical need to prioritize chronic disease management in conflict-affected areas and among populations with restricted access to healthcare, to prevent the consequent detrimental health effects.
加沙战争导致医疗中心遭到破坏和药物短缺，影响了包括1型糖尿病（T1D）患儿在内的最脆弱群体。
确定加沙冲突如何影响T1D患儿的护理。
我们在2024年6月至7月期间，通过在线问卷收集了29名年龄≤18岁的T1D患者的数据，并使用SPSS 21版对数据进行了分析。数据包括他们的社会人口学特征、病史、糖尿病相关数据、战争对T1D的影响以及生活方式的改变。
在这29名患者中，86.2%的家长报告孩子的活动水平下降，17.2%是因为恐惧，58.6%报告孩子的平均体重减轻了2.6±2.7（范围0 - 10）千克。大多数患者（79.3%）在战争期间无法获得足够的糖尿病护理。结果，10.3%因糖尿病急症住院。在家庭层面，79.3%的患者家庭经历了粮食不安全，96.6%的家庭食物选择有限。41.4%的人表示他们的食物可能不符合糖尿病饮食要求。
加沙的T1D患儿因战争无法获得足够的糖尿病护理，经历了粮食不安全、食物选择有限、药物短缺和血糖控制不佳的情况。迫切需要在受冲突影响地区和获得医疗保健机会有限的人群中优先进行慢性病管理，以防止随之而来的有害健康影响。
