Diabetes and school

According to reports in the diabetes news, the first ever UK study in this field has sought to uncover the views of young people with type 1 diabetes who manage their diabetes care whilst at school. The study, entitled: “Young people with type 1 diabetes: the influence of the school environment on self-care:, was carried out by experts at the University of Leicester School of Psychology and the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.
The study aimed to find out how young people with type 1 diabetes adjust their management of diabetes due to school personnel and peers. The study interviewed five boys and four girls. Findings indicate that young people believe teachers and other pupils strongly influence diabetes care .
Lead researcher, Dr. Lewis, was reported as commenting: “Previous studies have examined the role of parents in diabetes self-care, and found that parental influence decreases during adolescence. As friendships and school life become more important during adolescence, examining the influence of school personnel and peers was pertinent. There were few studies examining this area, so possible outcomes were unknown. The impact of teachers on young people with diabetes cannot be overestimated, given that poorer self-care increases the risk of complications including unconsciousness, seizures and coma, as well as serious long term problems such as blindness and kidney failure.”