Abstract
IntroductionEmerging adults (18‐30 years) with type 1 diabetes must manage a demanding chronic illness as well as navigate a life phase full of instability and transitions. Clinical care for this age group remains a challenge. An improved understanding of psychological facilitators of diabetes management may contribute to optimized clinical care to this age group.AimTo explore which individual strategies facilitated emerging adults’ diabetes management and what kind of support they regard helpful from peers, family and healthcare providers.MethodsQualitative analysis of web blogs. We identified personal blogs by emerging adults with type 1 diabetes through a search at the websites for diabetes associations in Denmark, UK and the USA, a snowball search at identified blogs and an internet search (Google). Blog posts from approximately the last year were analysed with thematic analysis as described by Braun and Clarke.ResultsWe included 16 blogs from UK, the USA, Australia and Denmark, focusing on blog entries from 2017 to 2018. Several psychological facilitators of management of type 1 diabetes were identified. Positive individual strategies involved: developing a balanced approach to blood glucoses, sharing diabetes with peers and making space for emotional reactions. Supportive involvement from peers, family and health care providers included: normalization, emotional backup and a nonjudgmental attitude.ConclusionDiabetes management in emerging adulthood can be facilitated by several individual strategies as well as by supportive involvement from peers, family and health care providers. It is worthwhile to further investigate how individual strategies as well as supportive involvement can be promoted in diabetes care.
Highlights
Emerging adults (18-30 years) with type 1 diabetes must manage a demanding chronic illness as well as navigate a life phase full of instability and transitions
An improved understanding of psychological facilitators of diabetes management may contribute to optimized clinical care to this age group
We focused on two main research questions: (1) Which positive individual strategies were expressed by emerging adults as facilitating diabetes management?; and (2) What kind of support from peers, family and health care providers were regarded as being helpful by emerging adults to facilitate management of diabetes?
Summary
Emerging adults (18-30 years) with type 1 diabetes must manage a demanding chronic illness as well as navigate a life phase full of instability and transitions. Clinical care for this age group remains a challenge. Aim: To explore which individual strategies facilitated emerging adults’ diabetes management and what kind of support they regard helpful from peers, family and healthcare providers. Supportive involvement from peers, family and health care providers included: normalization, emotional backup and a nonjudgmental attitude. Conclusion: Diabetes management in emerging adulthood can be facilitated by several individual strategies as well as by supportive involvement from peers, family and health care providers. It is worthwhile to further investigate how individual strategies as well as supportive involvement can be promoted in diabetes care
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