School Nurses' Comfort With Diabetes Management and Technology From 2012 to 2019.

Objective: School nurses are integral to optimizing diabetes management for students with type 1 diabetes. The aim of this study was to describe the use of diabetes technology in schools over time and assess school nurses' comfort level performing diabetes management tasks. Study design: From 2012 to 2019, school nurses who attended a diabetes education program completed a survey about their experience and comfort level with diabetes management. Results: A total of 1,796 school nurses completed the survey; 56% had at least 5 years of school nursing experience. Most (86%) had at least one student with type 1 diabetes. Among school nurses with at least one student with type 1 diabetes, 73% had at least one student using insulin pump therapy, and 48% had at least one student using continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). There was no change in pump use over time, but the percentage of nurses who had a student using CGM increased significantly from 24% in 2012 to 86% in 2019 (P <0.001). School nurses' comfort level using pumps remained stable over time. Overall, 47% reported being mostly/very comfortable giving boluses using a pump, and 17% reported being mostly/very comfortable troubleshooting problems with a pump. However, there was a significant increase in school nurses reporting feeling mostly/very comfortable working with CGM devices, increasing from 9% in 2012 to 44% in 2019 (P <0.001). Conclusion: School nurses are an important part of diabetes management for school-aged youth with type 1 diabetes. There is a need for additional diabetes education and support to build their confidence with diabetes management and technology, especially with further technological advancements in management.

Associations of Executive Function With Diabetes Management and Glycemic Control in Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes.

Aims: The aims of this study were to assess domains of executive function in relation to diabetes management and glycemic control in adolescents with type 1 diabetes and to compare adolescent self-report and parent proxy-report of adolescent executive function. Methods: Adolescents with type 1 diabetes (N = 169, 46% female, age 15.9 ± 1.3 years) and their parents completed self-report and parent proxy-report versions of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). Results: Self-report and parent proxy-report BRIEF T scores were moderately to strongly correlated; parent proxy scores were significantly higher than self-report scores. Executive function problems (Global Executive Composite T score ≥60) occurred in 9% of adolescents by self-report and 26% by parent proxy-report. For almost all Metacognition Index scales, elevated (T score ≥60) parent proxy scores were associated with lower adherence, lower adolescent diabetes self-efficacy, and more parent involvement in diabetes management. Elevated scores on several Metacognition Index scales were associated with less pump use (Plan/Organize by self-report, Initiate by parent proxy-report, and Monitor by parent proxy-report) and higher A1C (Plan/Organize by self-report and parent proxy-report and Organization of Materials by parent proxy-report). The only significant associations for the Behavioral Regulation Index scales occurred for adherence (by parent proxy-report) and diabetes self-efficacy (by self-report and parent-report). Conclusion: Adolescents with type 1 diabetes who have problems with metacognition may need additional support for diabetes self-management.

Acquisition of Self-Care Responsibility in Youth With Type 1 Diabetes: Opportunities for Improving Tailored Diabetes Education and Support Programs.

Background: There is gradual acquisition of type 1 diabetes self-care responsibility across childhood as youth mature and gain more independence from their family. Understanding the timing of diabetes self-care by youth can guide the tailoring of diabetes education and support programs. Objective: To investigate parent-perceived responsibility for diabetes self-care tasks across childhood. Methods: Parents/guardians of youth (ages 5-18 years) with type 1 diabetes reported parent involvement in diabetes management using the Diabetes Family Responsibility Questionnaire. Survey items were divided items into five domains: nutrition, monitoring, insulin dosing, communication, and health surveillance. Age-groups for analyses were 5-10 years (elementary school), 11-14 years (early adolescence), and 15-18 years (late adolescence). Demographic, diabetes management, and A1C data were collected at the time of survey completion. Results: Youth (n = 148, 50% male) were a mean age of 12.9 ± 3.3 years, with a mean type 1 diabetes duration of 6.2 ± 3.6 years; 66% used insulin pump therapy, and the mean A1C was 8.4 ± 1.3%. Of the parents (84% mothers, 91% White), 83% were married, and 52% were college educated. Per parent report, less parental involvement was associated with older youth age (P <0.001). Across all age-groups, more overall parental involvement was related to lower A1C (P = 0.02). Youth self-care in the nutrition domain began in elementary school, whereas self-care in monitoring and insulin dosing began in early adolescence, and self-care with regard to communication started in late adolescence. Responsibility for health surveillance remained mainly under parent care throughout childhood and adolescence. Conclusion: Providing education and support for youth during their acquisition of self-care tasks, especially those relating to nutrition, monitoring, and insulin dosing, may help to prevent glycemic deterioration later in childhood and adolescence.

Ready or not? Greater readiness for independent self-care predicts better self-management but not HbA1c in teens with type 1 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: Prior to the transfer from paediatric to adult health care transition, teens with type 1 diabetes seek increasing independence in diabetes self-care while parent involvement in care decreases. Yet, few teens attain glycaemic targets. This study aimed to assess changes in perceived readiness for independent self-care in teens with type 1 diabetes over 18 months, from both teens' and parents' perspectives, and to evaluate its predictive value for diabetes self-management and haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c ). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: At baseline, 6, 12 and 18 months, 178 teens with type 1 diabetes (mean ± SD age 14.9±1.3 years; HbA1c 8.5 ± 1.0% (69 ± 11 mmol/mol); 48% female) and their parents completed the Readiness for Independent Self-Care Questionnaire (RISQ-T and RISQ-P, respectively) and a measure of self-management. Chart review provided HbA1c values. Statistical analyses encompassed bivariate correlations, paired t-tests and multivariable longitudinal mixed models. RESULTS: Teens perceived greater self-care readiness than their parents at baseline and over 18 months of follow-up. Both teen and parent perceptions of teen readiness for independent self-care increased over time, and significantly predicted higher teen self- and parent proxy-reported teen diabetes self-management, respectively, but not improved HbA1c . CONCLUSIONS: The current findings may point to a disconnect between how increased readiness for independent self-care may translate into better perceived diabetes self-management, but not into better HbA1c . In an effort to optimize HbA1c in teens with type 1 diabetes, future research is needed to design interventions that align perceived readiness for independent self-care with self-care behaviours that improve HbA1c .

Association of executive function problems and disordered eating behaviours in teens with type 1 diabetes.

AIM: To explore cross-sectional associations between executive function problems and disordered eating behaviours in teens with type 1 diabetes. METHODS: Executive function was assessed by the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF), self-report and parent proxy-report versions. Scores ≥60 (on Global Executive Composite, Behavioral Regulation Index, Metacognition Index or clinical scales) indicated problems with executive function. Disordered eating behaviour was assessed by the Diabetes Eating Problem Survey Revised (DEPS-R) and categorized as follows: <10 low, 10-19 moderate and ≥20 high. RESULTS: In the 169 teens (46% girls, median age 16.0 years [range 13.7-18.7], median diabetes duration 8.9 years [range 1.4-16.6]), 29% had moderate and 12% had high level of disordered eating behaviours. Executive function problems were present in 9% by self report and 26% by parent proxy-report. Among teens with moderate/high level of disordered eating behaviours, 19% had executive function problems by self report (vs. 2% of teens with low level of disordered eating behaviours, p < 0.001) and 33% had executive function problems by parent proxy-report (vs. 20% of teens with low level of disordered eating behaviours, p = 0.056). A greater level of disordered eating behaviours was associated with executive function problems by teen self report on the General Executive Composite (p < 0.001), Behavioral Regulation Index (p < 0.001), emotional control clinical scale (p < 0.001), shift clinical scale (p < 0.001) and by parent proxy-report on the task initiation clinical scale (p = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Assessing executive function and screening for disordered eating behaviours in teens with type 1 diabetes could help identify a subset of teens at high risk for adverse outcomes and need for intervention.

Health-related quality of life in youth with type 1 diabetes: Associations with multiple comorbidities and mental health conditions.

AIM: This cross-sectional study examined the associations of comorbid conditions on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in 601 youth with type 1 diabetes. We evaluated associations between number of comorbid conditions (0, 1, ≥2) and particular comorbid conditions and youth HRQOL by self-report and parent proxy-report. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Youth with type 1 diabetes, aged 5-18 years, and their parents completed the PedsQL 4.0 Generic Core Scales self-report and parent proxy-report, respectively; they also reported youths' comorbid medical and mental health conditions. Separate linear regression models tested the relationship between number of comorbid conditions and specific comorbid conditions with youth-reported and parent proxy-reported HRQOL. RESULTS: Youth with ≥2 comorbid conditions had significantly lower HRQOL by both self- and parent proxy-reports compared with youth with 0 or 1 comorbid condition (youth self-report: 0: 85 ± 12, 1: 85 ± 13, 2+: 78 ± 16, p = <0.0001; parent proxy-report: 0: 83 ± 12, 1: 81 ± 13, 2+: 74 ± 15, p = <0.0001). Amongst the comorbid conditions, only a mental health comorbidity was associated with lower HRQOL. For youth and parent proxy-reports, both the number of comorbidities (≥2) and the presence of a mental health comorbidity were significantly associated with lower HRQOL. CONCLUSIONS: Health-related quality of life seems to be preserved in youth with type 1 diabetes unless confronted by multiple comorbidities as reported by youth and their parents. Our findings highlight the importance of tracking the presence of multiple comorbid conditions, possibly by reviewing problem and medication lists in the medical record, as well as screening for and addressing mental health conditions in routine diabetes care.

Innovative features and functionalities of an artificial pancreas system: What do youth and parents want?

AIMS: Participant-driven solutions may help youth and families better engage and maintain use of diabetes technologies. We explored innovative features and functionalities of an ideal artificial pancreas (AP) system suggested by youth with type 1 diabetes and parents. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 39 youth, ages 10-25 years, and 44 parents. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and coded using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Youth (72% female, 82% non-Hispanic white) were (M ± SD) ages 17.0 ± 4.7 years, with diabetes for 9.4 ± 4.9 years, and HbA1c of 68 ± 11 mmol/mol (8.4 ± 1.1%); 79% were pump-treated and 82% were continuous glucose monitor users. Of parents, 91% were mothers and 86% were non-Hispanic white, with a child 10.6 ± 4.5 years old. Youth and parents suggested a variety of innovative features and functionalities for an ideal AP system related to (1) enhancing the appeal of user interface, (2) increasing automation of new glucose management functionalities, and (3) innovative and commercial add-ons for greater convenience. Youth and parents offered many similar suggestions, including integration of ketone testing, voice activation, and location-tracking into the system. Youth seemed more driven by increasing convenience and normalcy while parents expressed more concerns with safety. CONCLUSIONS: Youth and parents expressed creative solutions for an ideal AP system to increase ease of use, enhance normalcy, and reduce burden of management. Designers of AP systems will likely benefit from incorporating the desired preferences by end users to optimize acceptance and usability by young persons with diabetes.

Mental Health Providers' Assessment of Parents' Reactions to their Children's Elevated Depressive Symptoms.

This study assessed parental reactions to the report of elevated depressive symptoms in a sample of 29 youth with type 1 diabetes (ages 8-17 years; 48% female) who scored ≥15 on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC). We also assessed parental depressive symptoms and how the presence of such symptoms was linked to parental reactions to the report of a positive screening score in their children and subsequent acceptance of a mental health referral. Mental health professionals contacted parents to discuss elevated scores and offer a mental health referral. Two coders reviewed the documentation of phone contacts made by mental health professionals and categorized parental responses to their child's elevated CES-DC score and the disposition plan. Youth and parent depressive symptoms were modestly correlated (r = 0.21, P = .01). About half (55%, 16/29) of parents were unaware of their child's depressive symptoms. Only 14% (4/29) of youth were already receiving mental health care while 28% (8/29) of parents accepted a referral. Parents with depressive symptoms were frequently unaware of their child's symptoms. Findings provide insight into parental reactions to learning of their child's depressive symptoms and highlight the need for more research on parental mood and reactions to their child's positive screen for depressive symptoms, as a potential barrier to mental health referral acceptance.

Youth and parent preferences for an ideal AP system: It is all about reducing burden.

BACKGROUND: As new diabetes technologies improve to better manage glucose levels, users' priorities for future technologies may shift to prioritize burden reduction and ease of use. We used qualitative methods to explore youth and parent desired features of an "ideal" artificial pancreas (AP) system. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 39 youth, ages 10-25 years, and 44 parents. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Youth (79% female, 82% non-Hispanic white) were (M ± SD) ages 17.0 ± 4.7 years, with diabetes for 9.4 ± 4.9 years, and HbA1c of 8.4 ± 1.1%; 79% were pump-treated and 82% used CGM. Of parents, 91% were mothers and 86% were non-Hispanic white. Participants suggested various ways in which an ideal AP system could reduce physical and emotional burdens of diabetes. Physical burdens could be reduced by lessening user responsibilities to manage glucose for food and exercise, and wear or carry devices. Emotional burden could be reduced by mitigating negative emotional reactions to sound and frequency of alerts, while increasing feelings of normalcy. Youth and parents differed in their suggestions to reduce emotional burden. Participants suggested features that would improve glycemia, but nearly always in the context of how the feature would directly reduce their diabetes-specific burden. CONCLUSIONS: Although participants expressed interest in improving glucose levels, the pervasive desire among suggested features of an ideal AP system was to minimize the burden of diabetes. Understanding and addressing users' priorities to reduce physical and emotional burden will be necessary to enhance uptake and maintain use of future AP systems.

Executive dysfunction is associated with poorer health-related quality of life in adolescents with type 1 diabetes: differences by sex.

PURPOSE: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is one of the most complex and demanding chronic diseases in adolescents. Given the detrimental impact of problems with executive function (EF; the ability to initiate, plan, and monitor behavior) on health outcomes in adolescents with T1D, most studies have examined common diabetes-specific outcomes related to self-management and glycemic control. This study aims to investigate the impact of executive dysfunction on health-related quality of life (HRQoL; an individual's perceived impact of illness and treatment on daily functioning) in adolescents with T1D from a multi-informant perspective. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 169 adolescents (mean ± SD age 15.9 ± 1.3 years) and their parents reported on adolescent EF and HRQoL (assessed by the BRIEF and PedsQL, respectively). Parent-youth interview and chart review provided demographic and clinical characteristics. Statistical analyses encompassed bivariate correlations, t-tests, chi-squared tests, and multivariable analyses. RESULTS: Adolescent self-reports and parent proxy-reports identified 13% and 32% of adolescents, respectively, as having executive dysfunction. Poorer adolescent EF was associated with poorer adolescent HRQoL by both adolescent self-report and parent proxy-report, respectively. In significant multivariable models, adjusted for adolescent age, sex, diabetes duration, and glycemic control, 21% and 24% of the variance in adolescent self-reported and parent proxy-reported HRQoL were explained by adolescent self-reported and parent proxy-reported executive dysfunction. A significant interaction of sex with adolescent self-report of executive dysfunction indicated that executive dysfunction had a greater negative impact on HRQoL in females than males (p < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that the impact of EF problems in adolescents with T1D goes beyond diabetes-specific outcomes and focuses attention on the need to evaluate and preserve HRQoL.

Associations between major life events and adherence, glycemic control, and psychosocial characteristics in teens with type 1 diabetes.

AIMS: This cross-sectional study assessed the type of major life events occurring in a contemporary sample of teens with type 1 diabetes and the association between event frequency and demographic, diabetes management, and psychosocial characteristics. METHODS: Parents of 178 teens completed the Life Events Checklist to report major events teens had experienced in the last year: 42% experienced 0 to 1 event (n = 75), 32% experienced 2 to 3 events (n = 57), and 26% experienced 4+ events (n = 46). Teens and parents completed validated measures of treatment adherence, diabetes-specific self-efficacy, quality of life, and diabetes-specific family conflict. Parent-youth interview and chart review provided demographics and diabetes management data. RESULTS: Mean number of events/teen was 2.6 ± 2.7 (range = 0-15). The most common events were "Hospitalization of a family member" (24%), "Getting a bad report card" (20%), "Serious arguments between parents" (19%), and "Serious illness/injury in a family member" (19%). Compared with teens experiencing 0 to 1 event, teens experiencing 4+ events were less likely to have married parents (P = .01) and a parent with a college degree (P = .006). Teens with 4+ events had significantly poorer adherence (P = .002 teen, P = .02 parent), lower self-efficacy (P = .03 teen, P < .0001 parent), poorer quality of life (P < .0001 teen, P < .0001 parent), and more conflict (P = .006 teen, P = .02 parent) than teens with fewer events. In a multivariate model (R 2 = 0.21, P < .0001) controlling for demographic and diabetes management characteristics, fewer events was associated with lower A1c (P = .0009). CONCLUSIONS: Occurrence of more major life events was associated with poorer diabetes care and A1c and more negative psychosocial qualities in teens with type 1 diabetes.

Improving dietary quality in youth with type 1 diabetes: randomized clinical trial of a family-based behavioral intervention.

BACKGROUND: Diets of children with type 1 diabetes are low in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and high in foods of minimal nutritional value, increasing risk for future adverse health outcomes. This 18-month randomized clinical trial tested the effect of a family-based behavioral intervention integrating motivational interviewing, active learning, and applied problem-solving on the primary outcomes of dietary intake and glycemic control among youth with type 1 diabetes. METHODS: A parallel-group study with equal randomization was conducted at an outpatient, free-standing, multidisciplinary tertiary diabetes center in the United States. Eligible youth were those age 8-16 years with type 1 diabetes diagnosis ≥1 year and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) ≥6.5% and ≤10.0%. Participants were 136 parent-youth dyads (treatment n = 66, control n = 70). The intervention consisted of 9 in-clinic sessions delivered to the child and parent; control condition comprised equivalent assessments and number of contacts without dietary advice. Dietary intake was assessed using 3-day diet records at 6 time points across the 18-month study. Dietary outcomes included the Healthy Eating Index-2005 (HEI2005; index measuring conformance to the 2005 United States Dietary Guidelines for Americans) and Whole Plant Food Density (WPFD; number of cup or ounce equivalents per 1000 kcal of whole grains, whole fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds consumed). HbA1c was obtained every 3 months. Overall comparison of outcome variables between intervention and usual care groups was conducted using permutation tests. RESULTS: There was a positive intervention effect across the study duration for HEI2005 (p = .015) and WPFD (p = .004). At 18 months, HEI2005 was 7.2 greater (mean ± SE 64.6 ± 2.0 versus 57.4 ± 1.6), and WPFD was 0.5 greater (2.2 ± 0.1 versus 1.7 ± 0.1) in the intervention group versus control. There was no difference between groups in HbA1c across the study duration. CONCLUSIONS: This behavioral nutrition intervention improved dietary quality among youth with type 1 diabetes, but did not impact glycemic control. Findings indicate the potential utility of incorporating such strategies into clinical care, and suggest that improvement in diet quality can be achieved in families living with this burdensome disease. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov registration number: NCT00999375.

A decade of temporal trends in overweight/obesity in youth with type 1 diabetes after the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial.

BACKGROUND: Youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are at risk for weight gain due to the epidemic of childhood overweight/obesity and common use of intensive insulin therapy; the latter resulted in weight gain in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial. OBJECTIVE: To assess overweight/obesity prevalence and intensive insulin therapy use in youth with T1D over a decade and identify factors associated with weight status and glycemic control. METHODS: We obtained cross-sectional data from four unique cohorts (1999, 2002, 2006, and 2009). Youth (N = 507, 49% male) were 8-16 yr old with T1D duration ≥6 months, A1c 6.0-12.0% (42-108 mmol/mol), and daily insulin dose ≥0.5 U/kg. RESULTS: Across cohorts, age, body mass index (BMI) percentile, and A1c ranged from 12.0 ± 2.2 to 12.8 ± 2.3 yr, 70 ± 22 to 72 ± 21, and 8.3 ± 1.0 (67 ± 11) to 8.5 ± 1.1% (69 ± 12 mmol/mol), respectively. Intensive insulin therapy use increased from 52 to 97% (p < 0.001) between 1999 and 2009. However, prevalence of overweight/obesity remained similar, 27% (1999), 36% (2002), 33% (2006), and 31% (2009) (p = 0.54), as did z-BMI. In multivariate analysis, higher A1c was related to higher insulin dose (p < 0.01), less frequent blood glucose monitoring (p < 0.001), and non-white race (p < 0.001); A1c was not related to z-BMI, intensive insulin therapy, or cohort. z-BMI was related to insulin dose (p < 0.005) but not intensive insulin therapy or cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Despite near-universal implementation of intensive insulin therapy, overweight/obesity prevalence in youth with T1D remained stable over a decade, similar to the general pediatric population. However, A1c remained suboptimal, underscoring the need to optimize T1D treatment to reduce future complication risk.

Are children with type 1 diabetes safe at school? Examining parent perceptions.

OBJECTIVE: To describe parent perceptions of children's diabetes care at school including: availability of licensed health professionals; staff training; logistics of provision of care; and occurrence and treatment of hypo- and hyperglycemia; and to examine parents' perceptions of their children's safety and satisfaction in the school environment. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A survey was completed by parents of children with type 1 diabetes from permissive (trained, non-medical school personnel permitted to provide diabetes care; N = 237) and non-permissive (only licensed health care professionals permitted to provide diabetes care; N = 198) states. RESULTS: Most parents reported that schools had nurses available for the school day; teachers and coaches should be trained; nurses, children, and parents frequently provided diabetes care; and hypo- and hyperglycemia occurred often. Parents in permissive states perceived children to be as safe and were as satisfied with care as parents in non-permissive states. CONCLUSIONS: Training non-medical staff will probably maximize safety of children with diabetes when a school nurse is not available.

Care utilization in a pediatric diabetes clinic: cancellations, parental attendance, and mental health appointments.

OBJECTIVE: To examine care utilization, family attendance, and hemoglobin A1c levels in a multidisciplinary pediatric diabetes clinic. STUDY DESIGN: This retrospective electronic record review of deidentified data included patients (99% with type 1 diabetes) with established diabetes care, aged <30 years (mean age, 15 ± 5.2 years), and duration of diabetes >1 year (mean 8.5 ± 5.1 years) at first visit during a 2-year period. Outcomes included care utilization, family attendance, and glycemic control, as indicated by hemoglobin A1c level. Analyses included t tests, ANOVA, χ2 tests, ORs and 95% CIs, and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: The study cohort comprised 1771 patients, with a mean of 5.8 ± 2.8 visits per patient. Roughly 15% of the scheduled appointments resulted in a cancellation or no-show; 61% of patients missed ≥1 visit. Patients with ≥2 missed appointments had higher A1c values and were older than those with <2 missed visits. Almost one-half of visits were attended by mothers alone; fathers attended 22% of visits. Patients whose fathers attended ≥1 visit had lower A1c values than patients whose fathers never attended. Eighteen percent of patients had onsite mental health visits. Patients with ≥1 mental health visit had higher mean A1c values, shorter duration of diabetes, and were younger compared with those with no mental health visits. CONCLUSION: Our observations suggest the need to encourage attendance at diabetes visits and to include fathers to improve A1c values. The high rate of missed visits, especially in patients with poor glycemic control, identifies wasted provider effort when late cancellations/no-shows result in vacant clinic time. It is important to explore reasons for missed visits and to identify approaches to maximizing attendance, such as extended evening/weekend clinic hours and virtual visits.

Family-based psychoeducation and Care Ambassador intervention to improve glycemic control in youth with type 1 diabetes: a randomized trial.

OBJECTIVE: Youth with type 1 diabetes frequently do not achieve glycemic targets. We aimed to improve glycemic control with a Care Ambassador (CA) and family-focused psychoeducational intervention. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In a 2-yr, randomized, clinical trial, we compared three groups: (i) standard care, (ii) monthly outreach by a CA, and (iii) monthly outreach by a CA plus a quarterly clinic-based psychoeducational intervention. The psychoeducational intervention provided realistic expectations and problem-solving strategies related to family diabetes management. Data on diabetes management and A1c were collected, and participants completed surveys assessing parental involvement in management, diabetes-specific family conflict, and youth quality of life (QOL). The primary outcome was A1c at 2 yr; secondary outcomes included maintaining parent involvement and avoiding deterioration in glycemic control. RESULTS: We studied 153 youth (56% female, median age 12.9 yr) with type 1 diabetes (mean A1c 8.4 ± 1.4%). There were no differences in A1c across treatment groups. Among youth with suboptimal baseline A1c ≥ 8%, more youth in the psychoeducation group maintained or improved their A1c and maintained or increased parent involvement than youth in the other two groups combined (77 vs. 52%, p = 0.03; 36 vs. 11%, p = 0.01, respectively) without negative impact on youth QOL or increased diabetes-specific family conflict. CONCLUSIONS: No differences in A1c were detected among the three groups at 2 yr. The psychoeducational intervention was effective in maintaining or improving A1c and parent involvement in youth with suboptimal baseline glycemic control.

Lower Independent Self-Care Readiness Persists over Time in Teens with Type 1 Diabetes and Executive Function Challenges.

PURPOSE: Management of type 1 diabetes is complex and benefits from adequate executive function (EF) (planning, organization, problem-solving). Teens with diabetes and executive dysfunction may have challenges with acquisition of self-care skills. METHODS: Over 18 months, parents of teens with type 1 diabetes aged 13-17 completed the Diabetes Family Responsibility Questionnaire (DFRQ) and Readiness for Independent Self-Care Questionnaire (RISQ) every 6 months. Parents assessed teen EF, completing the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). T-score ≥60 defined EF challenges. EF, demographic, and diabetes treatment variables predicted RISQ score over time using longitudinal mixed modeling with false discovery rate adjustment. RESULTS: There were 169 teen participants (54% male) aged 15.9±1.3 years, diabetes duration 8.4±3.7 years, and A1c 8.6±1.2%. About a third (31.4%) of teens had parent-reported BRIEF Global Executive Composite (GEC) scores ≥60. After adjusting for age, gender, and DFRQ, those with GEC <60 had RISQ score 4.1 points higher than those with GEC ≥60, p=0.016. Behavioral regulation index (BRI; adjusted for age, CGM use, DFRQ, and A1c) did not predict RISQ while metacognition index (MI; adjusted for age, gender, and DFRQ) did; those with MI <60 had RISQ score 5.3 points higher than those with MI ≥60, p<0.001. In all models, older teen age (p<0.05) and less parental involvement (p<0.001) predicted higher RISQ score. CONCLUSIONS: EF skills, especially metacognition, appear important for acquisition of self-care behaviors in teens with type 1 diabetes. Evaluating EF during adolescence may identify teens needing extra support during the transition process.

Effects of Macronutrient Intake and Number of Meals on Glycemic Outcomes Over 1 Year in Youth with Type 1 Diabetes.

Objective: Insulin bolus doses derive from glucose levels and planned carbohydrate intake, although fat and protein impact glycemic excursions. We examined the impact of macronutrients and number of daily meals/snacks on glycemic outcomes in youth with type 1 diabetes. Methods: Youth (N = 136, ages 8-17) with type 1 diabetes completed 3-day food records, wore 3-day masked continuous glucose monitoring, and had A1c measurements every 3 months for 1 year. Diet data were analyzed using Nutrition Data System for Research. Longitudinal mixed models assessed effects of macronutrient intake and number of meals/snacks on glycemic outcomes. Results: At baseline, youth (48% male) had mean age of 12.8 ± 2.5 years and diabetes duration of 5.9 ± 3.1 years; 73% used insulin pumps. Baseline A1c was 8.1% ± 1.0%, percent time in range 70-180 mg/dL (%TIR) was 49% ± 17%, % time below range <70 mg/dL (%TBR) was 6% ± 8%, % time above range >180 mg/dL (%TAR) was 44% ± 20%, and glycemic variability as coefficient of variation (CV) was 41% ± 8%; macronutrient intake included 48% ± 5% carbohydrate, 36% ± 5% fat, and 16% ± 2% protein. Most youth (56%) reported 3-4 meals/snacks daily (range 1-9). Over 1 year, greater carbohydrate intake was associated with lower A1c (P = 0.0003), more %TBR (P = 0.0006), less %TAR (P = 0.002), and higher CV (P = 0.03). Greater fat intake was associated with higher A1c (P = 0.006), less %TBR (P = 0.002), and more %TAR (P = 0.005). Greater protein intake was associated with higher A1c (P = 0.01). More daily meals/snacks were associated with lower A1c (P = 0.001), higher %TIR (P = 0.0006), and less %TAR (P = 0.0001). Conclusions: Both fat and protein impact glycemic outcomes. Future automated insulin delivery systems should consider all macronutrients for timely insulin provision. The present research study derived from secondary analysis of the study registered under NCT00999375.

Text messaging to enhance glucose monitoring and self-care in teens with type 1 diabetes: Teens' perceptions predict outcomes.

AIMS: We assessed association between how teens with type 1 diabetes (T1D) perceived a text-messaging (TM) reminder system to check glucose levels and how their perceptions related to their responsiveness to TM reminders to check glucose levels. METHODS: Teens received TM reminders 1-4 times daily to check glucose levels and to reply with the result. Qualitative assessments were performed quarterly. Teens were categorized by perceptions expressed at the majority of the visits and their TM responsiveness over 18 months. RESULTS: There were 135 teens (51 % male), with a mean age of 14.8 ± 1.2 years, receiving TM reminders. Distribution of participants' perceptions was 37 % positive (POS), 35 % neutral (with both positive and negative responses (POS/NEG)), and 28 % negative (NEG). Teens with POS perceptions about TM reminders were more likely to respond with a glucose value to the TM reminders than teens with NEG or POS/NEG perceptions (p = 0.002). Youth with POS perceptions and TM responsiveness on ≥ 50 % of days had an 0.81 % improvement in their HbA1c (p = 0.004) over 18 months. CONCLUSIONS: Teens with POS perceptions to TM reminders were likely to respond and their responsiveness yielded glycemic benefit, suggesting need to consider opinions of teens with T1D to maximize their intervention engagement and resulting benefits.

Ecological Momentary Assessment of Positive and Negative Affect and Associations with Blood Glucose in Teens with Type 1 Diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Affect (i.e., emotions) can be associated with diabetes self-care and ambient glucose in teens with type 1 diabetes (T1D). We used momentary sampling to examine associations of daily affectwithblood glucose (BG) monitoring,BG levels,and BG variability in teens with T1D. METHOD: Over 2 weeks, 32 teens reported positive and negative affect (Positive and Negative Affect Scale) and BG levels on handheld computers 4x/day, coordinated with planned daily BG checks. BG values were classified as: in-range (70-180 mg/dL); low (<70 mg/dL); severe low (<54 mg/dL); high (>180 mg/dL); severe high (>250 mg/dL). Daily BG variability was derived from BG coefficient of variation (BGCV). To determine associations of positive and negative affect with BG checks, BG levels, and BGCV, separate generalized estimating equations were performed, adjusting for demographic and diabetes-related variables, for the overall sample and stratified by HbA1c (≤8%, >8%). RESULTS: Teens (44% male, ages 14-18, 63% pump-treated, HbA1c 8.8 ± 1.4%) reported 51% in-range, 6% low (2% severe low), and 44% high (19% severe high) BG. In teens with HbA1c ≤8%, positive affect was associated with in-range BG (OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.04-1.13, P = .0002), reduced odds of very low glucose (OR = 0.35, 95% CI = 0.16-0.74, P = .006), and less daily BGCV (ß = -0.9; 95% CI = -1.6, -0.2; P = .01). In teens with HbA1c >8%, negative affect was associated with less likelihood of checking BG (OR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.64-0.87, P = .0003). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings shed light on individual differences in metabolic reactivity based on glycemic levels and the importance of incorporating affect into automated insulin delivery systems.