Journal Article

Diabetes-related distress over time and its associations with glucose levels in school-aged children

Benson, Matthew, McDonough, Ryan J, Milkes, Amy, Clements, Mark Allen, Pierce, Jessica S, Patton, Susana R, Kahhan, Nicole

2025

Overview

IntroductionIn a cohort of families of school-age children (8–12.99 years old) with type 1 diabetes, we examined the stability of parent and child diabetes-related distress (DRD) over 6 months and the associations between parent and child DRD and child glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) over time.Research design and methodsWe recruited families from two large pediatric hospital systems in the USA and used validated measures of parent (Parent Problem Areas in Diabetes-Child, PPAID-C) and child (Problem Areas in Diabetes-Child, PAID-C) DRD and children’s HbA1c. We collected data at baseline and 6 months. We calculated minimal clinically important differences in PPAID-C and PAID-C to examine DRD stability and used a linear regression model to examine associations between PPAID-C and PAID-C scores and child HbA1c over time.ResultsWe recruited n=132 parent–child dyads (mean child age=10.23±1.5 years; 50% male, 86% non-Hispanic white). 60% of children and 55% of parents reported stable DRD levels, 20% of children and 14% of parents reported increasing DRD levels, and 20% of children and 31% of parents reported decreasing DRD levels from baseline to 6 months. In the regression model, child HbA1c and DRD scores at baseline significantly predicted child HbA1c 6 months later, β=0.013, t(157)=2.32, p=0.02.ConclusionsAcross 6 months, DRD remained stable or increased in 80% of school-aged children and 69% of parents. Only child HbA1c and DRD at baseline predicted higher child HbA1c 6 months later. Our results suggest it may be valuable to screen families of school-age children for DRD routinely and to develop treatments to help them reduce DRD.

• Publisher: American Diabetes Association,BMJ Publishing Group LTD,BMJ Publishing Group
• Subject: Age / Biomarkers - analysis / Blood Glucose - analysis / Child / Children / Children & youth / Cohort analysis / Diabetes / Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - blood / Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - complications / Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - psychology / Emotions / Families & family life / Female / Follow-Up Studies / Glucose / Glycated Hemoglobin - analysis / Hemoglobin A1c / Humans / Informed consent / Infusion pumps / Insulin / Likert scale / Longitudinal Studies / Male / Marital status / Original Research / Parents & parenting / Parents - psychology / Prognosis / Psychosocial Research / Socioeconomic factors / Socioeconomic status / Stress, Psychological - blood / Stress, Psychological - etiology / Time Factors