Barriers to retinopathy screening in youth and young adults with type 1 diabetes.

Early detection of diabetic retinopathy (DR) is imperative; however, adherence to screening guidelines is poor. We hypothesized that youth and young adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) who met American Diabetes Association criteria for recommended DR screening at the time of the study (10 years old or greater with diabetes duration of 5 years or more) would report multiple barriers to screening and that targeted barriers and subpopulations could be identified to improve access to care. 271 youth aged 10 to 26 years with T1D of at least 5 years duration were recruited from clinic, diabetes camp, and a diabetes conference and completed a patient-reported questionnaire. 113 (41.7%) reported at least one barrier to DR screening, with missed school and work being the most common (20.7%). Older participants (P = 0.007) and those with a longer diabetes duration (P = 0.018) were more likely to report barriers to screening. Recruitment location, sex, race and ethnicity, HbA1c, insulin regimen, and clinic visit frequency were not associated with reporting at least one barrier. Slightly less than two-thirds (62.1%) of participants who responded (n = 235 out of 271) adhered to recommended screening guidelines of the time and reported having an eye exam within the past year, 24.7% 12-23 months ago, 9.8% 2 years ago or more, and 3.4% had never had a DR exam. As older patients and those with longer duration of diabetes are more likely to have DR, targeted interventions to address barriers to care, such as, missed school and work should be implemented in these groups.

Real-World Screening for Retinopathy in Youth With Type 1 Diabetes Using a Nonmydriatic Fundus Camera.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the use of a portable retinal camera in diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening in multiple settings and the presence of associated risk factors among children, adolescents, and young adults with type 1 diabetes. DESIGN AND METHODS: Five hundred youth with type 1 diabetes of at least 1 year's duration were recruited from clinics, diabetes camp, and a diabetes conference and underwent retinal imaging using a nonmydriatic fundus camera. Retinal characterization was performed remotely by a licensed ophthalmologist. Risk factors for DR development were evaluated by a patient-reported questionnaire and medical chart review. RESULTS: Of the 500 recruited subjects aged 9-26 years (mean 14.9, SD 3.8), 10 cases of DR were identified (nine mild and one moderate nonproliferative DR) with 100% of images of gradable quality. The prevalence of DR was 2.04% (95% CI 0.78-3.29), at an average age of 20.2 years, with the youngest affected subject being 17.1 years of age. The rate of DR was higher, at 6.5%, with diabetes duration >10 years (95% CI 0.86-12.12, P = 0.0002). In subjects with DR, the average duration of diabetes was 12.1 years (SD 4.6, range 6.2-20.0), and in a subgroup of clinic-only subjects (n = 114), elevated blood pressure in the year before screening was associated with DR (P = 0.0068). CONCLUSION: This study in a large cohort of subjects with type 1 diabetes demonstrates that older adolescents and young adults (>17 years) with longer disease duration (>6 years) are at risk for DR development, and screening using a portable retinal camera is feasible in clinics and other locations. Recent elevated blood pressure was a risk factor in an analyzed subgroup.

Designing Online and Mobile Diabetes Education for Fathers of Children With Type 1 Diabetes: Mixed Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: Fathers make unique and central contributions to the health of their children. However, research in type 1 diabetes (T1D) education largely ignores the needs of fathers, including during the development of online and mobile educational materials. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to solicit and incorporate input from fathers of children with T1D into the design, content, and infrastructure of a suite of online diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) resources. METHODS: The study took part in three phases: (1) exploratory research, (2) website and subdomain development, and (3) evaluation. Fathers of children with T1D (n=30) completed surveys and semistructured qualitative interviews. Thematic content analysis was used to identify fathers' content and design preferences. An online DSMES website (T1DToolkit.org) and a separate mobile subdomain targeting fathers (Mobile Diabetes Advice for Dads, or mDAD) were developed. A prototype of the site for fathers was evaluated by 33 additional father participants. End user feedback was elicited via survey. RESULTS: Participants in the exploratory phase were enthusiastic about the online diabetes resources. Preferences included high-quality design, availability via mobile phone and tablet, brief text content supplemented with multimedia and interactive features, reminders via text or email, endorsement by medical professionals, and links to scientific evidence. The mDAD subdomain received high usability and acceptability ratings, with 100% of participants very likely or likely to use the site again. CONCLUSIONS: The development of eHealth educational platforms for fathers of children with T1D remains an unmet need in optimizing diabetes management. This study incorporated fathers' feedback into the development of a suite of online diabetes education resources. The findings will serve as the basis for future research to assess the clinical efficacy of the website, its subdomain targeting fathers, and additional subdomains targeting unique populations.

Featured Article: Behavior Interventions Addressing Obesity in Rural Settings: The E-FLIP for Kids Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of behavioral parent-only (PO) and family-based (FB) interventions on child weight, dietary intake, glycated hemoglobin, and quality of life in rural settings. METHODS: This study was a three-armed, randomized controlled trial. Participants were children (age 8-12 years) with overweight or obesity and their parents. A FB (n = 88), a PO (n = 78) and a health education condition (HEC) (n = 83) each included 20 group contacts over 1 year. Assessment and treatment contacts occurred at Cooperative Extension Service offices. The main outcome was change in child body mass index z-score (BMIz) from baseline to year 2. RESULTS: Parents in all conditions reported high treatment satisfaction (mean of 3.5 or higher on a 4-point scale). A linear mixed model analysis of change in child BMIz from baseline to year 1 and year 2 found that there were no significant group by time differences in child BMIz (year 2 change in BMIz for FB = -0.03 [-0.1, 0.04], PO = -0.01 [-0.08, 0.06], and HEC = -0.09 [-0.15, -0.02]). While mean attendance across conditions was satisfactory during months 1-4 (69%), it dropped during the maintenance phase (42%). High attendance for the PO intervention was related to greater changes in child BMIz (p < .02). Numerous barriers to participation were reported. CONCLUSION: Many barriers exist that inhibit regular attendance at in-person contacts for many families. Innovative delivery strategies are needed that balance treatment intensity with feasibility and acceptability to families and providers to facilitate broad dissemination in underserved rural settings.ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01820338.

Executive Function and Dysregulated Eating Behaviors in Pediatric Obesity.

Objective: To examine the association between caregiver proxy report of executive function (EF) and dysregulated eating behavior in children with obesity. Methods: Participants were 195 youth with obesity aged 8-17 years, and their legal guardians. Youth height, weight, demographics, depressive symptoms, eating behaviors, and EF were assessed cross-sectionally during a medical visit. Analyses of covariance, adjusted for child age, gender, race/ethnicity, standardized BMI, depressive symptoms, and family income were used to examine differences in youth EF across caregiver and youth self-report of eating behaviors. Results: Youth EF differed significantly by caregiver report of eating behavior but not youth self-report. Post hoc analyses showed that youth with overeating or binge eating had poorer EF than youth without these eating behaviors. Conclusions: Executive dysfunction, as reported by caregivers, in youth with obesity may be associated with dysregulated eating behaviors predictive of poor long-term psychosocial and weight outcomes. Further consideration of EF-specific targets for assessment and intervention in youth with obesity may be warranted.

Pediatric Obesity-Assessment, Treatment, and Prevention: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline.

COSPONSORING ASSOCIATIONS: The European Society of Endocrinology and the Pediatric Endocrine Society. This guideline was funded by the Endocrine Society. OBJECTIVE: To formulate clinical practice guidelines for the assessment, treatment, and prevention of pediatric obesity. PARTICIPANTS: The participants include an Endocrine Society-appointed Task Force of 6 experts, a methodologist, and a medical writer. EVIDENCE: This evidence-based guideline was developed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach to describe the strength of recommendations and the quality of evidence. The Task Force commissioned 2 systematic reviews and used the best available evidence from other published systematic reviews and individual studies. CONSENSUS PROCESS: One group meeting, several conference calls, and e-mail communications enabled consensus. Endocrine Society committees and members and co-sponsoring organizations reviewed and commented on preliminary drafts of this guideline. CONCLUSION: Pediatric obesity remains an ongoing serious international health concern affecting ∼17% of US children and adolescents, threatening their adult health and longevity. Pediatric obesity has its basis in genetic susceptibilities influenced by a permissive environment starting in utero and extending through childhood and adolescence. Endocrine etiologies for obesity are rare and usually are accompanied by attenuated growth patterns. Pediatric comorbidities are common and long-term health complications often result; screening for comorbidities of obesity should be applied in a hierarchal, logical manner for early identification before more serious complications result. Genetic screening for rare syndromes is indicated only in the presence of specific historical or physical features. The psychological toll of pediatric obesity on the individual and family necessitates screening for mental health issues and counseling as indicated. The prevention of pediatric obesity by promoting healthful diet, activity, and environment should be a primary goal, as achieving effective, long-lasting results with lifestyle modification once obesity occurs is difficult. Although some behavioral and pharmacotherapy studies report modest success, additional research into accessible and effective methods for preventing and treating pediatric obesity is needed. The use of weight loss medications during childhood and adolescence should be restricted to clinical trials. Increasing evidence demonstrates the effectiveness of bariatric surgery in the most seriously affected mature teenagers who have failed lifestyle modification, but the use of surgery requires experienced teams with resources for long-term follow-up. Adolescents undergoing lifestyle therapy, medication regimens, or bariatric surgery for obesity will need cohesive planning to help them effectively transition to adult care, with continued necessary monitoring, support, and intervention. Transition programs for obesity are an uncharted area requiring further research for efficacy. Despite a significant increase in research on pediatric obesity since the initial publication of these guidelines 8 years ago, further study is needed of the genetic and biological factors that increase the risk of weight gain and influence the response to therapeutic interventions. Also needed are more studies to better understand the genetic and biological factors that cause an obese individual to manifest one comorbidity vs another or to be free of comorbidities. Furthermore, continued investigation into the most effective methods of preventing and treating obesity and into methods for changing environmental and economic factors that will lead to worldwide cultural changes in diet and activity should be priorities. Particular attention to determining ways to effect systemic changes in food environments and total daily mobility, as well as methods for sustaining healthy body mass index changes, is of importance.

Erratum: Disparities in Social Support for Youths With Type 1 Diabetes. Clinical Diabetes 2015;33:62-69.

[This corrects the article on p. 62 in vol. 33, PMID: 25897185.].

Using photography as a method to explore adolescent challenges and resilience in type 1 diabetes.

Patient-centered approaches to disease management are consistently recognized as valuable tools for improving health outcomes, yet studies are rarely designed to elicit adolescent perspectives. This study sought to better understand the perspectives of youths with type 1 diabetes according to key demographic variables. We conducted an exploratory study through which 40 youths were provided with disposable cameras and prompted to take five photographs each that captured what diabetes meant to them and to provide narratives to accompany their photo choices. Demographic variables examined included sex, age, disease duration, socioeconomic status (SES), race, and glycemic control (A1C). Content analysis was used for photos and open-ended responses to assign photo index scores, which were then analyzed by demographic variables using Mann-Whitney U tests for statistical significance. Analysis of photos/narratives (n = 202) revealed five main types of representations depicted by at least 50% of the young people. "Challenge" photos included diabetes supplies as tethering, food as a source of frustration, and the body as a territory for disease encroachment. "Resilience" photos included coping mechanisms and symbols of resistance. Overall, these representations were consistent across demographic categories with two exceptions. Males took more food depictions than females (P <0.005) and had fewer coping depictions (P <0.05). Youths from more affluent households were more likely to take photos of resistance (P <0.05). The use of photo index scores expands previous studies using photography by comparing demographic variation within a sample. Our findings provide insight into coping strategies and indicate that SES may provide an advantage for affluent youths in meeting diabetes-specific challenges.

Disparities in social support systems for youths with type 1 diabetes.

IN BRIEF Low socioeconomic status (SES) is consistently identified as a major risk factor for poor health outcomes in youths with type 1 diabetes, yet little is known about the social factors that yield such disparities. This study used survey research to examine the role of SES by focusing on differential resourcing in social support systems for youths with type 1 diabetes and their parents/caregivers. We identified significant inequalities in social support systems and found that parents from lower-income households engage in few coping activities and rarely identify a primary care provider as the main point of contact when facing a diabetes-related problem. Our findings underscore the need to better connect low SES families to diabetes-specific professional resourcing and to raise awareness about the importance of extracurricular activities as a form of social support for youths.

Puppy Love, Adolescence, and Chronic Illness: The Importance of Pets for Youth with Type 1 Diabetes.

The benefits of animal-companion ties to well-being are consistently documented, yet few studies use patient-centered methodologies to examine how youth living with chronic illnesses rely on domestic pets for support. Youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) aged 12 to 19 years (N=40) completed surveys involving a prompt to take five photos of "what diabetes means to you," with an accompanying narrative. Content analysis was conducted for photos/narratives and numeric variables analyzed including socio-economic status (SES: measured by total household income and years of parental education) and HbA1C. More than half of the youth participants took pictures of coping mechanisms, including pictures of their pets. In fact, pictures of pets outnumbered pictures of people three to one. Pet depictions were captured by youth from all SES levels. Youth with T1D identify pets as an important source of support. More research is needed to understand how pets may offset disease burden for youth with T1D.

Thyroid storm following radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy for pediatric graves disease.

PATIENT: Female, 11 FINAL DIAGNOSIS: Thyroid storm Symptoms: Diarrhea • tachycardia • tachypnea • tremor • wheezing MEDICATION: - Clinical Procedure: - Specialty: - OBJECTIVE: Rare disease. BACKGROUND: A growing number of pediatric endocrinologists treat Graves disease with radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy due to the typically definitive nature of I-131 therapy. Given the published benefits and perceived low risks of RAI when compared to surgery or long-term anti-thyroid medication, the trend towards therapy with RAI is likely to continue. Nevertheless, RAI is not without significant risk. CASE REPORT: An 11-year-old girl with newly diagnosed Graves disease received RAI for definitive treatment of her hyperthyroidism. Within 24 hours of receiving I-131, she developed increasing sleepiness and eventually became unresponsive. Upon arrival at the emergency department she had a tonic-clonic seizure and was diagnosed with thyroid storm. Despite best efforts to manage her hyperthyroidism, she suffered a stroke of the left cerebral hemisphere that left her with persistent neurological deficits. CONCLUSIONS: Although thyroid storm after thyroid ablation is rare, the significant morbidity and potential mortality of pediatric thyroid storm warrant further studies to determine if children with markedly elevated thyroid hormone concentrations at diagnosis should receive prolonged pretreatment with anti-thyroid drugs. While such an approach may reduce the efficacy of I-131 ablation, it can also reduce and hopefully eliminate the risk of post-ablative thyroid storm.

The community-based healthy-lifestyle intervention for rural preschools (CHIRP) study: design and methods.

The CHIRP study is a two-arm, pilot randomized controlled trial assessing the effectiveness of a behavioral family weight management intervention in an important and at-risk population, overweight young children, 3 to 6 years of age, and their parents from underserved rural counties. Participants will include 96 parent-child dyads living in rural counties in north central Florida. Families will be randomized to one of two conditions: (a) behavioral family based intervention or (b) a waitlist control. Child and parent participants will be assessed at baseline (month 0), post-treatment (month 4), and follow-up (month 10). Assessments and intervention sessions will be held at the Cooperative Extension office in each participating rural county. The primary outcome measure is change in child body mass index (BMI) z-score. Additional key outcome measures include child dietary intake, physical activity, and parent BMI. This study is unique because (1) it is one of the few randomized controlled trails examining a behavioral family intervention to address healthy habits and improved weight status in young overweight and obese children, (2) addresses health promotion in rural settings, and (3) examines intervention delivery in real world community settings through the Cooperative Extension Service offices. If successful, this research has potential implications for medically underserved rural communities and preventative health services for young children and their families.

Does blood glucose monitoring increase prior to clinic visits in children with type 1 diabetes?

OBJECTIVE: To assess the occurrence of white coat adherence in families with children who have type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Blood glucose data were downloaded from meters of 72 children, aged 2-11 years, with type 1 diabetes at four consecutive clinic visits. Generalized estimating equations were used to analyze patterns of blood glucose monitoring (BGM) during the 28 days before each clinic visit. RESULTS: More frequent BGM was associated with better glycemic control. Evidence of a white coat adherence effect, with BGM frequency increasing before a clinic visit, was found only among children with low A1C levels. CONCLUSIONS: Highly motivated families who frequently monitor their child's blood glucose increased the frequency of BGM before the child's clinic visit. The additional monitoring may benefit the child by providing the physician with a wealth of blood glucose information to guide recommendations.