Self –Concept in Children with Type 1 Diabetes Referring to the Sedigheh Tahereh Clinic

Type 1 diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in children. An ambiguous picture of the physical, social, educational, moral, rational and temperamental nature of these children as the main concern of their parents poses the need to identify the six levels of self-concept. Therefore, the aim was to determine the level of sixth (physical, social, educational, moral, rational and mood) self-concept in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus in Isfahan city.

This descriptive-analytical study was carried out in 2016. The statistical population includes all children with type 1 diabetes who referred to Sedigheh Tahereh Clinic. A total of 100 children were selected by cluster sampling. The data were collected by the parents of children by completing a researcher-made questionnaire with 36 items of six levels of self-concept. Content validity by applying the view point of experts and the reliability of the tools was confirmed by calculating the Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 84%. Data were analyzed using SPSS software 18, descriptive tables and independent t-test.

The findings indicate that 63% of the samples under study are at least 3 years old in type 1 diabetes. No significant difference was found between the amount of sixth self-concept based on sex and duration of the disease (P> 0.05). However, there is a significant difference between the amount of sixth self-concept based on the age (P=0.019) and number of children in the family (P =0.003) and this difference in the parents of children with multiple scores in educational self-concept is more than that of single-child children with increasing age of children (M = 12.02).

It is necessary to have training courses and counseling sessions for parents and children with diabetes in clinics in promoting the proper self-concept of children and reducing their parents' mental and mental concerns.