Children and Adolescents Diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Part 3
Two questionnaires were developed for self-administration, one for the child or adolescent and one for the parent/guardian. The youth questionnaire contained four sections with 26 questions. The first section asked questions related to youth characteristics such as age, gender, ethnicity, and any recent weight changes. Body mass index (BMI; kg/m2) was calculated from weight and height. The first section also included questions related to diabetes knowledge and management including hemoglobin A1c, use of oral medications, number of medical visits since diagnosis, and reported nutrition or exercise changes since diagnosis. The second section of the youth questionnaire contained questions related to lifestyle behaviors such as how many hours per day spent in front of TV/computer, participation in any after-school activities, and organized sports participation. The third section contained questions related to youth nutrition behaviors such as favorite foods, soda consumption, fast-food intake, and fruit and vegetable intake. The fourth section contained questions related to perceived needs such as interests in meeting other youth with type 2 diabetes, and interests in attending a diabetes summer camp or family camp. The youth questionnaire was modeled after surveys previously developed and used to determine the characteristics of youth diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (Pinhas-Hamiel et al., 1999; Treviño et al., 1999; Hanley et al., 2000).
The parental questionnaire contained one section with eight questions concerning demographics, parity, family history of type 2 diabetes, and the presence of hyperinsulinemic conditions such as acanthosis nigricans, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and hirsutism within their child.
Follow-up Interview
The follow-up interview was developed to delve further into youth management of type 2 diabetes. Questions included knowledge of normal blood sugar ranges, comfort with testing blood sugar in front of friends and family members, diabetes knowledge prior to diagnosis, foods that challenge blood sugar control, and both the challenges and “positive experiences” associated with living with diabetes.
Data Analysis
Both questionnaires and follow-up interviews were coded for entry into a spreadsheet to ensure confidentiality of subjects. Descriptive statistics were utilized for all analyses including discrete and continuous data to determine counts, percentages, means, and standard deviations.
Results
The results of the study are presented in the following six categories: 1) youth characteristics; 2) parent characteristics; 3) youth knowledge and diabetes management; 4) youth lifestyle behaviors; 5) youth nutrition behaviors; and 6) youth perceptions and perceived needs.
Youth Characteristics
Of the 14 subjects, males and females were equally represented (Table 1). Two of the subjects were siblings. Eleven of the subjects were Latino while the rest were Asian American. Subjects ranged in age from 10 to 18 years with a mean age of 13.8 years (± 2.3). The mean age at diagnosis was 12.7 years (± 2.3) with a range from eight-and-a-half years to 17 years when first diagnosed. The mean body mass index (BMI) of the participants was 33.5 kg/m2 (±6.2). The 90th percentile of BMI for the pediatric population varies with age, gender, and ethnicity but is 27 kg/m2 or less for the population as a whole (Pinhas-Hamiel, et al., 1999). Twelve of the participants had a BMI greater than 27 kg/m2 and of those 12 participants, two subjects had a BMI of more than 40 kg/m2. Only two participants had a BMI less than 27 kg/m2. Secondary hyperinsulinemic conditions were present in the majority of subjects.
Malegra – cheap mexican pharmacy.
Acanthosis nigricans (AN) was present in 10 of the participants and of those 10 youth with AN, three participants had an additional hyperinsulinemic condition: two with PCOS and one with hirsutism. Four subjects (29%) reported no other insulin resistant conditions other than diabetes.