Research Article: Glycemic control in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes: association with parental diabetes distress and anxiety
Abstract:
Managing type 1 diabetes (T1D) in children is an overwhelming challenge for both the family and parents, whose emotional health can affect the child’s glycemic levels. Distress/Anxiety that parents experience related to their child's T1D has been identified as an increasing factor that affects the child's ability to manage their T1D and clinical outcomes. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between Glycemic Control and Parental Diabetes Related Stress/Anxiety in a Saudi Arabian Cohort.
A cross-sectional study was conducted with 87 parents of children and adolescents with T1D who visited the Pediatric Diabetes Specialty Clinic. Parental diabetes-related emotional experiences and anxiety levels were measured using valid instruments; specifically, the Parent Diabetes Distress Scale and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. The association between variables was determined through correlational analysis and by comparing across levels of glycemic control using HbA1c values. Additionally, demographic/clinical characteristics related to glycemic control were examined in relation to other characteristics.
The average HbA1c of participants indicated suboptimal glycemic control (mean = 8.79%). There were no differences in overall diabetes-related distress across the different glycemic ranges. The subscale of parental distress related to teen management and the relationship between the parent/child were both positively correlated to an individual's glycemic control. Older age and longer duration of the disease also correlated with lower levels of glycemic control.
Psychosocial evaluation and family-focused interventions may be useful as standard diabetes management practices that lead to better emotional and metabolic health outcomes. Parental distress, parental anxiety, and suboptimal glycemic control are closely related. The findings support the need to assess the parents’ mental/psychological state as part of an overall management strategy for pediatric diabetes, especially with limited regional evidence.
Introduction:
Managing type 1 diabetes (T1D) in children is an overwhelming challenge for both the family and parents, whose emotional health can affect the child’s glycemic levels. Distress/Anxiety that parents experience related to their child's T1D has been identified as an increasing factor that affects the child's ability to manage their T1D and clinical outcomes. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between Glycemic Control and Parental Diabetes Related Stress/Anxiety in a Saudi Arabian…
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