Blood glucose monitoring skills in children with Type I diabetes

While blood glucose monitoring has become increasingly important in diabetes care, studies have yet to address the accuracy of youngsters' performance of blood glucose testing with current reflectance meters. The present study examined testing skills and predictors of accurate testing skills in a sample of 7-14-year-old children attending a summer camp for youth with diabetes (n=266). A 15-item behavior observational skill test was used to assess accuracy of blood glucose monitoring skills with reflectance meters. Accurate performance of individual skills ranged between 14.6% and 99.6% for the sample. However, a number of children made critical errors (errors that were likely to lead to inaccurate blood glucose testing results). When duration of diabetes and metabolic control were controlled, female gender, older age, experience with a particular meter, and absence of hypoglycemia at the time of testing were positively associated with accurate skill performance. Findings suggest that younger children, children using a new blood glucose testing meter, and children suspected of having hypoglycemia should be supervised and observed when testing. Although all young children should be supervised when blood glucose testing, boys may need closer supervision until an older age than girls. This study underscores the need for health care providers to periodically observe children's blood glucose monitoring techniques to assure accurate testing habits and to correct problematic testing behaviors.