Abstract
Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) is, next to obesity and asthma, the most common chronic disease in children in Poland. T1D is not only a medical challenge, but it also affects all areas of a sick child’s life and family functionality. New forms of therapy facilitate the daily management of the disease, but their availability is limited and partly dependent on socioeconomic status. This study aimed to assess the incidence and interrelationships between the child’s health condition and the applied therapy model, and selected aspects of the child’s family functionality and access to health and care services. The survey involved 206 child and youth caregivers with T1D who are members of Facebook support groups. The analysis of the obtained results revealed the existence of links between family income level and the type of insulin therapy applied. Children from families with a better financial situation (subjective and objective) were more likely to have additional medical consultations and make more frequent control visits. In families with a higher level of income, the T1D-induced restriction of child activity was less frequent. Living outside of urban centers was associated with a reduced availability of care or educational facilities adapted to take care of a child with T1D. No statistically significant correlations were observed between demographic and economic factors and the child’s health status expressed by the occurrence of complications. The incidence of the latter, however, affected the child’s family situation.
Highlights
The research material consisted of the data collected through questionnaires addressed to the caregivers of children diagnosed with type 1 Diabetes
Information was collected on 206 Type 1 diabetes (T1D) children (Table 1), 109 (52.9%) of whom were girls and 97 (47.1%) were boys
The results of this study indicate that the connection of the parents’ possibility of entrusting another person or institution with caring for a child suffering from T1D is related to the child’s age
Summary
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an immune-mediated disease It is a disorder characterized by the progressive destruction of beta cells in the pancreas, leading to the cessation of insulin secretion and subsequent hyperglycemia [1,2]. The exact cause of the destruction of pancreatic β cells is not fully known, but some factors are indicated that initiate their destruction by the immune system. These include genetic factors [3,4], and environmental factors (including rubella viruses, mumps viruses, cytomegaloviruses, and the consumption of cow’s milk protein) [5]. T1D is a chronic disease that requires a constant external insulin supply
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