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Understanding the construct of fear of hypoglycemia in pediatric type 1 diabetes

Jaclyn A Shepard1, Karen Vajda1, Maren Nyer1

  • 1Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, Depression Clinical and Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia.

Journal of Pediatric Psychology
|September 13, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Fear of hypoglycemia in children with type 1 diabetes is understood through parent and child surveys. Key factors include behaviors to maintain high blood glucose and worries about helplessness and social consequences.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Endocrinology
  • Psychology

Background:

  • Fear of hypoglycemia (FoH) presents a significant obstacle to achieving optimal glycemic control in pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D).
  • Understanding the specific dimensions of FoH is crucial for developing effective management strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the underlying constructs of the Hypoglycemia Fear Survey (HFS) as applied to parents (PHFS) and children (CHFS) of youth with T1D.
  • To identify the core components contributing to the fear of hypoglycemia in this population.

Main Methods:

  • Data were pooled from five studies, involving 259 youth with T1D and 250 parents.
  • Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was employed to determine the factor structures of both the CHFS and PHFS.

Main Results:

  • Both the CHFS and PHFS yielded similar four-factor solutions.
  • The identified factors comprised a Behavior Subscale (including 'Maintain High BG' and 'Avoidance' behaviors) and a Worry Subscale (including 'Helplessness' and 'Social Consequences' concerns).

Conclusions:

  • The identified constructs offer a more nuanced understanding of pediatric FoH in type 1 diabetes.
  • These findings have significant implications for designing targeted interventions to mitigate FoH in children and adolescents with T1D.
Abstract

Keywords:
anxietydiabetesquality of life

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