Parental fear of hypoglycemia: young children treated with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion

Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine the association between parental fear of hypoglycemia and average daily blood glucose control of young children with type 1 diabetes receiving continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII). We hypothesized that parental fear of hypoglycemia would correlate positively with children's average daily blood glucose control. Twenty-four families of children with type 1 diabetes who were receiving CSII were recruited from a pediatric hospital. Children had a mean age of 5.7 +/- 1.8 yr (range 2-8 yr) and were evenly split on gender. Parents completed a modified version of the Hypoglycemia Fear Survey - Parents of Young Children (HFS-PYC), a measure designed to assess fear and avoidance behaviors associated with hypoglycemia. Blood glucose was assessed for the 2 wk following completion of the HFS-PYC using a standard home blood glucose meter. Parents of young children obtained a mean total HFS-PYC score of 81 +/- 14.1 (possible range 26-130), suggesting a moderate level of fear. The HFS-PYC was found to be internally consistent and had good test-retest reliability. For parents of young children receiving CSII, fear of hypoglycemia correlated positively with children's mean daily blood glucose levels (r = 0.41, p = 0.05). Parents of young children with type 1 diabetes who are receiving CSII report significant fear of hypoglycemia. Parental fear of hypoglycemia may be a barrier to prevent optimal glycemic control.