Examining the Relationship between Nighttime Glucose Values in Youth with Type 1 Diabetes and Parent Fear of Nighttime Hypoglycemia

Abstract

Objective. Youth with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) are at risk for experiencing nighttime hypoglycemia, and many parents report significant anxiety at night regarding glucose management. Limited data exist examining continuous nighttime glucose levels as a predictor of parent fear of nighttime hypoglycemia. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between parent fear of nighttime hypoglycemia and nighttime blood glucose levels as measured by continuous glucose monitors (CGMs). Methods. A sample of 136 parents/caregivers of youth with T1D completed a one-time survey and youth provided 14 days of CGM data. We conducted regression models with mean nighttime glucose value, glycemic variability, and the percent of nighttime glucose values in the hypoglycemic, target, and hyperglycemic range as the independent variable and parents’ fear of nighttime hypoglycemia as the dependent variable. Results. Overnight hypoglycemia measured via CGM did not predict parents’ fear of nighttime hypoglycemia; however, average youth nighttime glucose levels and nighttime glycemic variability were significant predictors of parents’ fear of nighttime hypoglycemia. Conclusions. The results of the present study indicate that parents of youth with T1D may report higher fear of hypoglycemia if they observe increased fluctuations in their child’s nighttime glucose levels, regardless of how often their child’s glucose levels are in the hypoglycemic range. The results suggest that clinicians may consider screening for parent fear of nighttime hypoglycemia in families of youth who present with large variability in their glucose values overnight.