Fear of hyperglycemia in parents of children with type 1 diabetes mellitus - a multi-center multi-national study.
Diabet Med 2023:e15114. [PMID:
37052607 DOI:
10.1111/dme.15114]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
Study aims: (1) developing and validating a novel questionnaire for measuring fear of hyperglycemia among parents of children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) - the Hyperglycemia Fear Survey - Parent version (FoHyper-P); (2) investigating correlations between parental fear of hyperglycemia and objective measures of glycemic control.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
A multi-center, multi-national study of 152 parents of children with T1D was conducted in three large diabetes clinics from Israel, Poland, and Greece. Inclusion criteria were parents of children aged 6-16 years, at least 6 months from diagnosis, at least 3 months of CGM use and parental involvement in care. Parents filled the FoHyper-P and the Hypoglycemia Fear Survey - Parent Version (HFS-P). Patient data were obtained via electronic medical records and informative questionnaires. Bonferroni correction was performed to counteract multiple comparisons.
RESULTS
Significant strong-moderate correlations were found between FoHyper-P and HFS-P including total questionnaires scoring (r=0.747, PBonf. <0.001), worries subscales (r=0.735, PBonf <0.001), and behavior subscales (r=0.532, PBonf <0.001). Using linear regression models we found a positive association between the worry subscale and HbA1C. Weak correlations (P<0.05, not significant after Bonferroni correction) were found between time in range, time above range and parental fear of hyperglycemia as well as between worry subscales and a higher HbA1C in the past year, percent of hyperglycemia and lower TIR.
CONCLUSIONS
The FoHyper-P is a novel, validated tool for assessing parental fear of hyperglycemia. Integrating it into clinical practice addresses an underestimated aspect of parental diabetes management, enabling better care for children with T1D.
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