Problems of Children with type 1 Diabetes and Their Caregivers' Burdens

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess problems facing children with type1diabetes and their caregivers' burdens. This cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out on a sample of 300 children with diabetes and their accompanying caregivers coming to Out-Patient Clinic of pediatric hospital, Ain Shams University. Data collection tools included an interview questionnaire to assess problems of children with diabetes and an interview questionnaire to assess burdens facing their caregivers. The results revealed that age of children between 10-12 years, 62% were boys and 38% were girls. The period of disease constitutes 61% more than 3 years. The highest percentage of physical problems as hypoglycemic coma, visual weakness, underweight, teeth problems, easily fatigue, and previous hyperglycemic coma were 97%, 89%, 75%, 69%, 67% and 66% consecutively. While mental problems, the highest percentage were 77% for poor ability to recall, 70% for distractibility & 68% for poor attention. But psychosocial problems of children were moderate self-esteem which estimates 70%, moderate social withdrawal in a percentage of 68%, high anxiety level in 57%, and moderate depression represent 50% of the study subject. According to parents caregivers, their physical and economical burden: the result demonstrate that general health exhaustion, fatigue, low back pain, insufficient rest and sleep, and headache represent 85%, 83%, 76%, 69%, and 30% consecutively of physical burden of the study subject while elevation in medication cost, routine investigation cost, restrictions to special types of food, nutritional regimens cost, emergency and continuous hospitalization, and difficult in reaching to health centers and hospitals where 92%, 88%, 79%, 78, and 62% consecutively of economical burden of the study subject. About psychosocial burden of parents caregivers, sadness related to child's problems, fear from complications, worry about child school achievements, lack of positive coping, upset related lack of medication, frustration due to child psychological problems, anxiety related to insufficient knowledge, guilty feeling toward child disease, nervousness from handling child problems, and frustration from child non obedience (related to disease instruction) where in ratios 98%, 97%, 69%, 92%, 85%, 83%, 68%, 73%, 60%, and 45% consecutively of caregivers psychosocial burden. The study concluded that children suffering from physical, social, psychological and mental problems related to their disease Most of their caregivers facing multiple burdens regarding caring of their children. The study recommended implementation of counseling sessions to all out patient clinic attendants' family care givers having children with diabetes. A hotline must be available to solve immediate problems of caregivers and their children