Effect of Caregiver’s Health Education on Patterns of Self-Management and Glycemic Control in Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes

Abstract

Background: Type I diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a lifelong disease that affects all aspects of diseased children’s life and thus can negatively affect their mental, physical health and their health-related quality of life. Effective self-management of type 1 diabetes in pre-adolescent and adolescent years is important to prevent diabetes-related complications later in life. Objectives: to assess self-management patterns among caregivers of type 1 diabetic children pre and post health education about management of pediatric Type 1 diabetes mellitus and to assess glycemic control pre and post health education among children attending Zagazig university diabetes clinic. Method: An educational intervention (pre-test/post-test) study was carried out from the first of August 2019 to the end of March 2020 for Caregivers of Type 1 Diabetes children who attend Zagazig diabetes clinic for receiving periodic insulin therapy and regular checkup. Results: Self-Management patterns had significantly changed throughout the study as adaptive pattern increased from 22.4% pre-intervention to 36.8% and 44.3% post-intervention at 3 and 6 months respectively. On other hand, maladaptive pattern decreased from 20.8% pre-intervention to 7.9% and 6.6% post-intervention at 3 and 6 months respectively. Glycemic control had significantly improved throughout the study. Percentage with good glycemic control increased from 57.6% pre-intervention to 62.3% and 70.8% postintervention at 3 and 6 months respectively. Conclusion: The study illustrated that selfmanagement among caregivers of Type 1 Diabetes children as well as the children’s glycemic control improved after health education. Adaptive Self-Management pattern was significantly associated with good glycemic control.