ABSTRACT
Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) have been associated with a greater prevalence of risky behaviors and chronic health conditions, such as diabetes in adulthood. While adolescents with risk taking behaviors experience worsening of diabetic metabolic control, it is yet to be determined whether glycemic management in children and adolescents is negatively and independently influenced by ACEs. This study examines the relationship between ACEs in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) and glycemic control, BMI and lipids. For such children, we hypothesized that hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is positively correlated with ACE scores. Parents of children (age 2-18 years) with T1DM completed a validated ACE questionnaire. The associations between parent and child ACE score and HbA1c, lipids and BMI z-scores were assessed using linear regression. The prevalence of any ACE was 27.9% among children and 49.0% among parents. HbA1c was significantly higher in children who had exposure to three or more ACEs (ß:0.63 (4.5 mmol/mol); p = 0.02), in those who had a parent exposed to four or more ACEs (ß:0.87 (7.2 mmol/mol); p = 0.03), in children who had exposure to household incarceration (ß:0.62 (4.4 mmol/mol); p = 0.05) and children who witnessed or had been victim of violence in the neighborhood (ß:0.71 (5.4 mmol/mol); p = 0.02). ACEs were highly prevalent among children with T1DM and had a positive association with glycemic control.
ABSTRACT
RATIONALE, AIMS, AND OBJECTIVES: Waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) are superior surrogate markers of central obesity than body mass index. However, WC is not measured routinely in paediatric clinics. The objective of this study was to implement measurement of WC during routine assessment of children in an ambulatory outpatient clinic setting and subsequent dissemination of cardiometabolic risk counselling in children with central obesity (defined as WHtR ≥0.5). METHOD: Prospective cohort of patients aged 6 to 20 years. Study period was divided into three phases: baseline (3 months), process improvement (2 months), and implementation (6 months). Define-Measure-Analyse-Improve-Control (DMAIC) strategy was applied. Measurement of WC was implemented as a component of the physical examination in patients. Outcome measures were (1) improvement in frequency of WC measurement and (2) utilization of WHtR in cardiometabolic risk counselling. RESULTS: Waist circumference was not measured in any patient during baseline phase (n = 551). During process improvement phase, of the total 347 patients, WC was measured in 35% vs target of 30%. In the implementation phase, WC was measured in 37% patients (365 out of 964). Of these 365 patients, 175 (48%) had elevated WHtR, and 73% of them (n = 128) were counselled about their increased cardiometabolic risk. CONCLUSIONS: Application of an evidence-based DMAIC protocol led to significant improvement in assessment for central obesity in an ambulatory clinic practice and appropriate counselling regarding cardiometabolic risk reduction in children and adolescents with central obesity over an 8-month period. Meticulous planning and execution, frequent reinforcement, and integrating feedback from the involved multi-disciplinary team were important factors in successful implementation of this quality improvement project.
