DIABETICMedicine DOI: 10.1111/dme.12557
Short Report: Educational and Psychological Issues Health-related quality of life in preschool children with Type 1 diabetes F. Sundberg1,2, P. Sand1,2,3 and G. Forsander1,2,3 1
Diabetes Unit, The Queen Silvia Children’s Hospital/Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, 2Department of Paediatrics, Institution of Clinical Sciences, ardalinstitutet /Swedish Institute for Health Sciences, Sk ane, Sweden Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg and 3V
Accepted 30 July 2014
Abstract Aims To describe health-related quality of life in children aged < 7 years with Type 1 diabetes mellitus compared with healthy children of the same age, and to investigate how health-related quality of life was correlated with aspects of insulin treatment and glycaemic control. Methods The participants in this study were 24 children with diabetes (12 girls, mean age 4.5 years) and 27 healthy children (14 girls, mean age 4.6 years). All participants completed the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 Generic Core Scales and the participants with diabetes also completed the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 3.0 Type 1 Diabetes Module Scales. HbA1c levels were measured in children with diabetes and the plasma glucose meter memories were uploaded.
Children aged < 7 years with diabetes had lower parent-rated generic health-related quality of life compared with healthy children (score: 80 vs 91; P = 0.003). The difference was largest in children aged < 5 years (score: 79 vs 93; P = 0.004). Among the parents of children with Type 1 diabetes, 22% rated their child’s generic health-related quality of life to be at a level of concern (– 1 SD of a general population). Of the children with Type 1 diabetes aged between 5 and 7 years, 40% rated their own generic health-related quality of life at the same level of concern.
Results
This study shows a significantly lower level of generic health-related quality of life in very young children with diabetes in comparison with healthy children. We suggest screening for health-related quality of life in children of all ages with Type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Conclusion
Diabet. Med. 32, 116–119 (2015)
Introduction Health-related quality of life should be followed up and monitored as an integrated part of treatment outcome in all children with Type 1 diabetes [1,2]; however, little is known about health-related quality of life in preschool children with Type 1 diabetes. The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 3.0 Diabetes Module Scales (PedsQL 3.0) [3] makes it possible to investigate health-related quality of life in children as young as 2 years of age with diabetes; this disease-specific questionnaire has recently been validated in a Swedish sample [4]. The aim of the present study, part of the broader Diabetes Under Seven study [5–7], was to describe health-related quality of life in children aged < 7 years with Type 1 diabetes. Correspondence to: Frida Sundberg. E-mail: [email protected]
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Methods Participants
All 53 children who met the three inclusion criteria for this study (age < 7 years, diabetes duration > 3 months and currently a patient at the paediatric diabetes clinic in Gothenburg) were invited to participate in this study. Parents of 24 children with diabetes (12 girls) consented to their child’s participation in the study. Twenty-seven healthy children (14 girls) of the same age were recruited to the control group. Descriptions of participants, non-participants, healthy control children and the recruitment process have been published previously, together with detailed information on the measurements used [5–7]. National data describing all children aged < 7 years with diabetes in Sweden were retrieved from the Swedish paediatric diabetes quality registry, SWEDIABKIDS.
ª 2014 The Authors. Diabetic Medicine ª 2014 Diabetes UK
Research article
What’s new? • Health-related quality of life in children aged < 7 years with Type 1 diabetes has not previously been measured. • Children aged
Short Report: Educational and Psychological Issues Health-related quality of life in preschool children with Type 1 diabetes F. Sundberg1,2, P. Sand1,2,3 and G. Forsander1,2,3 1
Diabetes Unit, The Queen Silvia Children’s Hospital/Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, 2Department of Paediatrics, Institution of Clinical Sciences, ardalinstitutet /Swedish Institute for Health Sciences, Sk ane, Sweden Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg and 3V
Accepted 30 July 2014
Abstract Aims To describe health-related quality of life in children aged < 7 years with Type 1 diabetes mellitus compared with healthy children of the same age, and to investigate how health-related quality of life was correlated with aspects of insulin treatment and glycaemic control. Methods The participants in this study were 24 children with diabetes (12 girls, mean age 4.5 years) and 27 healthy children (14 girls, mean age 4.6 years). All participants completed the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 Generic Core Scales and the participants with diabetes also completed the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 3.0 Type 1 Diabetes Module Scales. HbA1c levels were measured in children with diabetes and the plasma glucose meter memories were uploaded.
Children aged < 7 years with diabetes had lower parent-rated generic health-related quality of life compared with healthy children (score: 80 vs 91; P = 0.003). The difference was largest in children aged < 5 years (score: 79 vs 93; P = 0.004). Among the parents of children with Type 1 diabetes, 22% rated their child’s generic health-related quality of life to be at a level of concern (– 1 SD of a general population). Of the children with Type 1 diabetes aged between 5 and 7 years, 40% rated their own generic health-related quality of life at the same level of concern.
Results
This study shows a significantly lower level of generic health-related quality of life in very young children with diabetes in comparison with healthy children. We suggest screening for health-related quality of life in children of all ages with Type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Conclusion
Diabet. Med. 32, 116–119 (2015)
Introduction Health-related quality of life should be followed up and monitored as an integrated part of treatment outcome in all children with Type 1 diabetes [1,2]; however, little is known about health-related quality of life in preschool children with Type 1 diabetes. The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 3.0 Diabetes Module Scales (PedsQL 3.0) [3] makes it possible to investigate health-related quality of life in children as young as 2 years of age with diabetes; this disease-specific questionnaire has recently been validated in a Swedish sample [4]. The aim of the present study, part of the broader Diabetes Under Seven study [5–7], was to describe health-related quality of life in children aged < 7 years with Type 1 diabetes. Correspondence to: Frida Sundberg. E-mail: [email protected]
116
Methods Participants
All 53 children who met the three inclusion criteria for this study (age < 7 years, diabetes duration > 3 months and currently a patient at the paediatric diabetes clinic in Gothenburg) were invited to participate in this study. Parents of 24 children with diabetes (12 girls) consented to their child’s participation in the study. Twenty-seven healthy children (14 girls) of the same age were recruited to the control group. Descriptions of participants, non-participants, healthy control children and the recruitment process have been published previously, together with detailed information on the measurements used [5–7]. National data describing all children aged < 7 years with diabetes in Sweden were retrieved from the Swedish paediatric diabetes quality registry, SWEDIABKIDS.
ª 2014 The Authors. Diabetic Medicine ª 2014 Diabetes UK
Research article
What’s new? • Health-related quality of life in children aged < 7 years with Type 1 diabetes has not previously been measured. • Children aged
