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Are Kids With Diabetes Managing the Disease As Well As They Should?What is the problem and what is known about it so far?Being able to manage diabetes on your own is an important part of controlling the disease, and teaching children with diabetes how to take care of their condition is an important part of maintaining their good health as they grow up. The problem is that people may think they're doing a good job when they aren't. Why did the researchers do this particular study?The researchers wanted to look at parents' perceptions of how well their children with diabetes are managing the disease and how well they actually are doing. Who was studied?The study included 78 parents of children 6 to 12 years old with type 1 diabetes. How was the study done?Researchers interviewed the parents and children. Their control of diabetes was determined by reviewing a year's worth of tests for A1C, a measure of long-term glucose control. What did the researchers find?Poor diabetes control was linked to higher perceived competence of the child, a younger age of the child, lower perceived seriousness about diabetes, and infrequent blood tests. What were the limitations of the study?Parent perception was based on recall and honesty of the participants, which may not be entirely accurate. There could be other things going on in the household affecting the children's diabetes management that were not studied. What are the implications of the study?Although parents think their children may be managing their diabetes well, in many cases they are not. Parents tend to overestimate the ability of their children to manage diabetes. Children with diabetes need supervision and parental involvement to make sure they remain as healthy as possible. FOR MORE INFORMATIONYouth Zone -- American Diabetes Association Diabetes Camps -- American Diabetes Association ADA Guide to Raising a Child With Diabetes |
Now Available! Late-breaking Diabetes research summaries Read the ADA's research magazine Forefront Wedding Diabetes Forecast - Free Issue! |
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