Evaluation of the Factors Influencing Diabetic Control among Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is the most common metabolic and chronic disease in children and adolescents. This study aimed to evaluate the factors influencing diabetic control among adolescents with Type 1 diabetes.

This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 205 patients aged 11-19 years with type 1 diabetes who referred to Endocrine Clinic of Besat Hospital, Hamadan, Iran, in 2019. The participants were selected based on a census sampling method and investigated in terms of factors affecting diabetic control. The data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 16). A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The mean age of the patients was 13.96±3.17 years, and 58% of the participants were female. Moreover, the mean values of diabetes duration and Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) were estimated at 5.71±3.16 years and 8.89±1.84%, respectively. Regarding treatment adherence, 35.2% of the patients had poor adherence. The prevalence rate of depression, anxiety, and stress were 51.2%, 72.2%, and 13.2% in patients, respectively. Poorly controlled diabetes based on HbA1c correlated significantly with father's unemployment status and poor family support. Furthermore, the status of diabetes control based on HbA1c level had a significant correlation with the scores of stress, anxiety, and depression. However, there was a negative and significant relationship between the status of diabetes control and the number of annual referrals to the clinic.

This study showed that anxiety, depression, and stress led to poor control in patients with type 1 diabetes. On the other hand, increased income and family support, as well as frequent visits to the clinic improved diabetic control.