Children With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: Self‐Management Experiences in School

摘要

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND Children with type 1 diabetes mellitus ( T1DM ) need to perform self‐management activities at school and in other environments. Learning about their experiences at school is crucial to assist them in this challenging task. METHODS Qualitative interviews were conducted with children with T1DM , aged between 7 and 12. A scenario was created and puppets were used during the interviews to help the participating children to communicate about school, daily routines, and experiences in diabetes management. Data were collected over a period of 1?year and analyzed according to content analysis procedures. RESULTS Nineteen children, 13 boys and 6 girls, at the mean age of 9.8?±?1.8?years and mean time since diagnosis of 3.3?years, participated in the study. Three themes were identified: lack of information on T1DM , diabetes self‐care at school, and support received by the children. CONCLUSIONS The study provides useful information to understand the children's experiences in managing the disease at school. The partnership between school staff, health teams, children with T1DM , and their families need to be enhanced to promote appropriate strategies that improve the management of diabetes in this setting.