160-OR: Youth with T1D and Elevated A1C —Pandemic Experiences and Psychosocial Factors

Abstract

Background: Individuals with T1D and elevated A1c may be differentially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined the pandemic experiences and psychosocial factors of youth with T1D and their families. Methods: Youth 12-17 years of age with T1D for ≥1 yr and A1c ≥ 10% were enrolled at 5 sites. Caregivers and youth reported pandemic experiences, family functioning, parenting practices, social support, diabetes distress, and family-medical team relationship. Pandemic experiences were compared to benchmark data, and significant associations were examined. Results: Participants (n=157) had mean age of 14.6 ± 1.6 years and mean A1c 11.0 ± 1.9%. Some pandemic experiences (e.g., change of schooling, loss of job) of youth with elevated A1c were similar to reports of other samples of youth with T1D, but youth with elevated A1c endorsed higher frequency of more severe COVID illness (43.9%), less strict social distancing (57.8%) and lower positive diabetes experiences (7.3%). Youth, caregiver, family, and family-medical team relationships were significantly associated with pandemic-related distress and T1D experiences during the pandemic (see Table). Conclusion: Youth with elevated A1c reported more frequent negative pandemic experiences compared to other samples, with related youth, family, caregiver, and family-medical team factors identified as potential targets for screening and intervention. Disclosure D.V. Wagner: None. J. Raymond: None. J.C. Wong: Research Support; Dexcom, Inc., Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc. D. Naranjo: None. A. Reed: None. K.A. Torres: None. S. Melnick: None. S. Mitchell: None. L. Yglecias: None. J. Flores Garcia: None. A. Torres Sanchez: None. A. Bonilla Ospina: None. M.A. Clements: Consultant; Glooko, Inc. Research Support; Dexcom, Inc., Abbott Diabetes. M.A. Harris: None. Funding JDRF