Self-care activities in pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

INTRODUCTION: Effective diabetes self-management and collaborative responsibility sharing with parents are imperative for pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus, particularly as they gradually assume more self-care responsibilities. The primary goal of this study was to assess differences in adherence to self-care activities regarding sociodemographics and clinical characteristics in pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes. The secondary goal of this study was to understand the level of parental involvement in diabetes management and to assess the pediatric patients' behaviors (independent or dependent on disease self-management) that relate to sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. METHODS: This was a comparative cross-sectional and correlational study. The study sample included 182 children and adolescents who had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at least 3 months prior. Data collection instruments included a sociodemographic and questionnaire about Adherence to self-care activities and parental involvement in diabetes self-management, as well as a documentation sheet for recording clinical data. RESULTS: A majority of participants (71%) exhibited non-adherence to self-care tasks, despite 78.0% asserting their independence in diabetes self-management. Notably, insufficient parental involvement in administering insulin therapy significantly predicted severe hypoglycemic episodes. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric patients dealing with type 1 diabetes demonstrate a substantial degree of autonomy in managing their condition, paradoxically coupled with self-reported non-adherence to critical self-care responsibilities. Notably, children (aged 8-12) rely more heavily on parental support, especially concerning insulin therapy administration. The study underscores the crucial role of parental engagement in insulin therapy, as its deficiency significantly predicts the likelihood of severe hypoglycemic episodes.

Determinants of health-related quality of life in children and adolescents living with type 1 diabetes mellitus during the COVID-19 pandemic.

AIM: To identify the determinants of self-reported health-related quality of life in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus during the coronavirus pandemic. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. METHODS: The study sample included 182 children and adolescents who had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus at least 3 months prior. Data collection instruments included sociodemographic and glycaemic control protocol adherence questionnaires, documentation sheet for recording clinical data, and Serbian versions of the EuroQol-5D-Y and KidScreen27 questionnaires, which were used to assess health-related quality of life. RESULTS: Glycaemic control adherence, presence of comorbidities, level of metabolic control, and type of insulin therapy were identified as key determinants of self-reported health-related quality of life. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contributions.