ESPE Abstracts

Background: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) has great psychological impact on adolescents and family’s lifestyle. It influences their perception of their quality of life (QOL), their metabolic control, and it may lead to future complications.

Objectives: Identify how QOL affects on T1D adolescents and its relation to metabolic control.

Methods: This is a retrospective study of 55 adolescents with T1D. Diabetes impacts patients’ concerns, life satisfaction, and their perceived health were assessed in the following manners: QOL was measured using QOL questionnaire ‘Hvidore’ for adolescents with T1D. The questionnaire contains 3 sections: parents, patients and caregivers. The results were measured related to sex, age, metabolic control, duration and type of treatment.

Results: Patients included in this sample were 52.7% male and 47.3% female, with an average age of 16.15 years (13.3–19). 7.2 average years after diagnosis (1.1–14.57), mean HbA1c 7.9±1.1%, insulin dose 0.96 U/kg per day and 4.1±1.1 insulin/day injections. 85.5% multiple daily injections (MDI), 14.5% continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII). In regards to their QOL, teens who reported a high impact on their life because of diabetes presented more likely to have poor metabolic control; 21.4% of them needed psychological assessment. Patients with adequate metabolic control (measured by an HbA1c <7.5%) feel healthy than the worst controlled (P=0.017). Life satisfaction improved in patients with good metabolic control. There was a lower reported life satisfaction in men, those older and in those with a longer duration of T1D. Adolescents with CSII had a greater life satisfaction report than those with MDI. Metabolic control was worse in monoparental families (P=NS). Good metabolic control assumes greater family involvement from the parents’ point of view (P=0.05) and caregivers.

Conclusions: Poorly controlled T1D interferes with QOL and perceived health status. Patients poorly controlled require more frequent psychological support. Greater family involvement is related to better metabolic control.