Frequency of screening for type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents
Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Māori and Pacific children and adolescents at risk of developing type 2 diabetes should be screened:
- annually if the HbA1c is less than 39 mmol/mol (5.7%)
- 6-monthly if the HbA1c is 39 to 46 mmol/mol (5.7 to 6.4%) and there is no evidence of impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance (or if these tests cannot be done) (see Diagnostic thresholds for diabetes for thresholds).
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and adolescents can be screened annually without cost to the individual using the Medicare Health Assessment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. In rural and remote locations, regular HbA1c screening is also accessible using the Quality Assurance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Medical Services (QAAMS) pathology program.
If non-Indigenous children and adolescents are assessed as needing ongoing screening for type 2 diabetes, guidelines from the Australasian Paediatric Endocrine Group1 suggest screening should be repeated every 2 to 3 years (or more frequently if excessive weight gain occurs or other modifiable risk factors develop or worsen).