Rob Lindsay

Elementary Schoolteachers' Understanding of Diabetes

Even if parents of diabetic children are well-educated in the care of diabetes, there may be no one in the children’s classrooms informed enough to cope with diabetic emergencies. We distributed a questionnaire to elementary schoolteachers in the Salt Lake City area to determine their understanding of diabetes. The answers showed a poor understanding of basic physiology and little knowledge about how to recognize and treat hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. Poor communication between parents and teachers was also revealed. We feel these results emphasize the need for diabetes educators to work closely with teachers to improve their understanding of children with diabetes.

Evaluation of Two Approaches to Educating Elementary Schoolteachers About Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus

Two approaches to better educate elementary schoolteachers about children with diabetes were tested. One group of teachers was given a program consisting of a video, pamphlets, and a question- and-answer session. The second group was informed that these materials were available to them in the media center. A 22-point questionnaire was used before intervention and 8 to 10 weeks later. Although both groups showed significant improvement compared with the control group, the improvement was slight and not felt to be clinically satis factory. We conclude that mass education of elementary school teachers is ineffective and that other approaches need to be developed.

The Effectiveness of Parents Teaching Elementary School Teachers About Diabetes Mellitus

A program to teach parents how to instruct elementary school teachers about children with diabetes mellitus was evaluated using a 14-point questionnaire prior to intervention and 6 to 8 weeks after intervention. There was a significant improvement in many aspects of the teachers knowledge of diabetes, although a few basic concepts remained unclear. We feel that refining the presentation and repeating the program as teachers encounter more children with diabetes will provide effective basic diabetes education to the elementary school teacher.

Relationships and the development of transition readiness skills into early emerging adulthood for individuals with type 1 diabetes

ABSTRACT The study examined how “transition readiness” skills develop from relationship processes with parents, friends, and healthcare providers. During their senior year of high school and one year later, participants (n = 217) with type 1 diabetes completed measures of transition readiness skills (Self-Management; Self-Advocacy), adherence, HbA1c, and relationships with providers (patient-centered communication), parents (monitoring/knowledge), and friends (knowledge/helpfulness) surrounding diabetes. Self-Management skills increased across time. Higher friend knowledge/helpfulness during emerging adulthood was associated with increased Self-Management skills. Adherence improved when relationships with providers and friends matched transition readiness skills, indicating that these relationships may facilitate transition skills in early emerging adulthood.

Use of Flocculated Human Insulin in Jet Infusion Devices

The results of the three temperature treatments were evaluated with the lowand high-glucose controls and in the lowand high-glucose blood. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance with a P < .05 level of significance. Because the blood glucose degrades over time when glycolysis is not prevented, the blood samples were analyzed by use of a randomized block design on time of measurement to account for this variance. Because time was not a factor with the glucose controls, a factorial design was used. All values for the strips tested against the highand low-glucose control solutions fell within the manufacturers acceptable range, with the exception of one control strip, which measured the high-glucose solution at 385 mg/dl (acceptable values 245-340 mg/dl), and one strip exposed to fluctuating heat, which measured that solution at 378 mg/dl. No significant difference could be found among the three temperature groups for either the highor low-glucose control solutions (P > .05). Also, no significant difference could be found among the three temperature groups when the blood glucose levels were evaluated (P > .05). Although no statistical differences could be observed among the different temperature groups, some observations are worth noting. Several of the strips exposed to high fluctuating temperatures had melted somewhat, causing the colorimetric pads to partly slide off the laminated plastic strip. We were unable to evaluate these strips because they would not fit properly into the AccuChek II slide chamber. These strips, which may have been altered to the greatest degree by heat, were thus eliminated from the study. There was also a larger range of measurements with the strips exposed to fluctuating temperatures (33-53 vs. 43-53 and 46-54 mg/dl for the constant elevated and control strips, respectively) when the low-glucose solution was tested. This may be clinically significant, because a blood glucose level falling at one extreme of this range would probably be treated differently than one at the opposite extreme. One other noticeable difference with the bottles exposed to fluctuating temperatures was that the caps, which contain desiccant, did not fit snugly. Therefore, deterioration of the enzyme strip might occur more rapidly in these bottles than in the others. Little difference was found between Chemstrip bG reagent strips exposed to a constant temperature of 37°C and those exposed to the control environment. However, the effect of heat exposure may not be immediate and may only manifest after several weeks. Strips that appear normal on visual inspection are probably adequate for clinical use when blood glucose is expected to be in the normal or high range. However, measurements on blood with low glucose may be altered in such a manner that optimal therapy might not be provided as a result of incorrect measurements.