Abstract
Aim
to explore the reasons young people with type 1 diabetes decline structured diabetes education from the perspectives of the young people themselves, their parents and diabetes educators.
Background
structured diabetes education (SDE) programmes that are evidence based and quality assured are a key component to empowering people with diabetes to self‐manage effectively. However, research reveals that uptake of structured education programmes is disappointingly low.
Design
qualitative cross sectional study involving participants from Northern Ireland and England.
Methods
Twenty young people with type 1 diabetes (13 to 22 years) who had declined SDE within the past two years, seventeen parents of a young person with type 1 diabetes and sixteen diabetes educators participated in semi‐structured interviews and focus groups.
Results
Three main themes emerged from across all three groups: timing, access and communication issues. In addition, a lack of understanding by the referrer was cited by some young people and their parents. Diabetes educators were sympathetic and understood many of the reasons why SDE was declined. Solutions were proposed to overcome expressed barriers.
Conclusions
Although the expressed reasons for declining might suggest that the young people simply did not prioritise education, this study adds a more nuanced scenario to the debate. The interviews revealed the tensions that exist between people's daily commitments and their need to self‐manage their diabetes. The young people and their parents must be given a much stronger sense of the importance of SDE and ways to accommodate attendance must be sought. Diabetes educators must be able to better promote the importance of SDE.
Relevance to clinical practice
As optimal glycaemic control is so vital for long term health there is an urgent need to understand how to respond more fully to the needs of young people who have type 1 diabetes.
to explore the reasons young people with type 1 diabetes decline structured diabetes education from the perspectives of the young people themselves, their parents and diabetes educators.
Background
structured diabetes education (SDE) programmes that are evidence based and quality assured are a key component to empowering people with diabetes to self‐manage effectively. However, research reveals that uptake of structured education programmes is disappointingly low.
Design
qualitative cross sectional study involving participants from Northern Ireland and England.
Methods
Twenty young people with type 1 diabetes (13 to 22 years) who had declined SDE within the past two years, seventeen parents of a young person with type 1 diabetes and sixteen diabetes educators participated in semi‐structured interviews and focus groups.
Results
Three main themes emerged from across all three groups: timing, access and communication issues. In addition, a lack of understanding by the referrer was cited by some young people and their parents. Diabetes educators were sympathetic and understood many of the reasons why SDE was declined. Solutions were proposed to overcome expressed barriers.
Conclusions
Although the expressed reasons for declining might suggest that the young people simply did not prioritise education, this study adds a more nuanced scenario to the debate. The interviews revealed the tensions that exist between people's daily commitments and their need to self‐manage their diabetes. The young people and their parents must be given a much stronger sense of the importance of SDE and ways to accommodate attendance must be sought. Diabetes educators must be able to better promote the importance of SDE.
Relevance to clinical practice
As optimal glycaemic control is so vital for long term health there is an urgent need to understand how to respond more fully to the needs of young people who have type 1 diabetes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | 23 |
| Journal | Journal of Clinical Nursing |
| Early online date | 12 May 2018 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published (in print/issue) - 12 May 2018 |
Keywords
- Diabetes
- Education
