Investigating the Relationship between Demographic Characteristics and Dimensions of Virtual Self-care of Diabetic Children

The effects that smartphones have had on the control of chronic diseases such as diabetes in recent years have taken self-care to a new level. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between demographic characteristics and dimensions of virtual self-care of diabetic children in Hamadan.

In the present quasi-experimental study, 92 children aged 10-18 years with type 1 diabetes, and one of the parents referred to the Diabetes Clinic in Hamadan were studied. The telephone numbers of all samples of the experimental group were added to the virtual group. A self-care questionnaire for a child with diabetes was completed before and after the study for both groups. Paired t-test and chi-square were used to analyze the data under Stata 11 software.

There was a significant relationship between weight and knowledge of insulin before the intervention (P = 0.003), weight and physical activity after the intervention (P = 0.032), and maternal knowledge with knowledge of insulin after the intervention (P = 0.014).

Demographic characteristics can affect the empowerment of children with diabetes in four areas: how to measure blood sugar, follow insulin therapy, and follow a diet plan and physical activity.