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Do education groups help diabetics and their parents?
A F Hackett1, S Court, J N Matthews
1Department of Child Health, Medical School, Newcastle upon Tyne.
Archives of Disease in Childhood
|July 1, 1989
Summary
Diabetes education programs improve knowledge and lower glycated hemoglobin A1c in children aged 11 and over. This study highlights the benefits of educational meetings for pediatric diabetes management.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Diabetes Management Education
Background:
- Limited assessment of diabetes education's impact on children.
- Diabetes management requires ongoing education for families.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a diabetes education program's effect on knowledge, diet, and glycated hemoglobin A1c in children.
- To assess the retention of diabetes knowledge among parents and children.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal controlled study involving 119 families with diabetic children.
- Education program consisted of two 4-week packages with group discussions.
- Assessed knowledge, diet, and glycated hemoglobin A1c levels.
Main Results:
- Significant improvement in family knowledge, though retention varied (poorer in fathers).
- A trend towards dietary improvement was observed but not statistically significant.
- Significant reduction in glycated hemoglobin A1c observed 7 months post-intervention in children aged 11+.
- Children with initially poor glycemic control showed the most improvement.
Conclusions:
- Structured diabetes education meetings are a valuable addition to standard pediatric diabetes care.
- The program effectively improved glycemic control in older children with diabetes.
- Further research could explore methods to enhance long-term knowledge retention.