Healthy adolescents' social representations of diabetes

This study explores healthy adolescents' social representations of diabetes in terms of its definition, origins and prevention.

Focus groups were conducted with students in Grades 5, 8 and 10 from 4 francophone schools in New Brunswick, Canada. Audiotaped discussions were transcribed and categorized using qualitative content analysis (Atlas.ti software). Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used to determine sex and grade-level differences in frequency of category citations.

Nineteen focus groups involved 130 adolescents. Students defined diabetes as a disease (13 groups) related to sugar (15 groups) and blood (13 groups), but only a few mentioned the role of insulin/pancreas, types of diabetes and/or complications. Symptoms/physiological manifestations (11 groups), monitoring blood sugar (10 groups) and insulin injections (5 groups) were discussed primarily in terms of behaviours observed among family and friends with diabetes, demonstrating the importance of social environment in their representations. Half of the groups identified heredity, age, obesity, physical activity and poor diet as playing a role in developing diabetes. Students had a general idea about the importance of good eating habits and physical activity in terms of managing and preventing diabetes. Eleven groups had the misconception that sugar causes diabetes. Although each focus group had at least 1 adolescent with a family member affected by the disease, only half of the groups cited feeling at risk of diabetes - girls more likely than boys (p≤0.05).

Healthy adolescents in Moncton, New Brunswick, have a limited comprehension of diabetes, which could make it difficult for them to take preventive action to contain this epidemic disease.