Glycemic Control and Knowledge among Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus; A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate the long-term glycemic control by glycosylated hemoglobin level (HbA1c) and to assess knowledge about the diabetic regimen. The results of glycemic control in this study were compared with the results of a study conducted in 2018 that targeted almost a similar population. Study Design: A Cross-Sectional Study. Subjects and Methods: The study was conducted in October 2012 to December 2012 in a major referral Diabetic Centre. Diabetic children aged 8 to 18 years old who were attending the referral diabetic clinics were included in the study (n = 90). Knowledge of diabetes management was evaluated by using a semi-structured questionnaire and HbA1c results were obtained from medical records, available for only 71. Later, these Glycated Hemoglobin HbA1c results were compared with the results of a recent study carried out among Sudanese diabetic children and adolescents in 2018. Results: Out of 71 diabetic children 78.9% were of poor glycemic control with mean HbA1c 10.36±2.14. On the other hand, the majority had good knowledge about the diabetic treatment including insulin administration, its storage conditions, and also the effect of exercise on blood glucose. However, almost 18.8% of studied participants did not know hypoglycemia symptoms, and about 11% of these patients were unaware of hypoglycemia management. Conclusion: The study has indicated that a significant percentage of studied diabetic children and adolescents had poor glycemic control. Although children’s knowledge about insulin therapy was good, further study must be conducted to investigate factors related to glycemic control among children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).