Glycemic control, quality of life and self-care behavior among adolescents with type 1 diabetes who attended a diabetes camp.

A prospective study was conducted at the tenth Siriraj diabetes camp with the objectives of evaluating the effectiveness of diabetes camp on 1) glycemic control, 2) knowledge, 3) quality of life, and 4) self-care behavior of adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) who participated in the diabetes camp. During the 5-day camp, twenty-seven participants (mean age 15.6 +/- 2.1 years, mean duration 6.3 +/- 3.0 years) were taught diabetes self-management education (DSME) and engaged in psychosocial support sessions. Post-camp activities were held every 3 months and participants were followed for 12 months post-camp. Glycemic control was assessed prior to the camp, then every 3 months. Knowledge level was assessed prior to the camp, at the end of the camp, and every 3 months. Diabetes self-care behavior and quality of life were evaluated prior to the camp, at 3 months and 12 months after the camp. After attending the camp, participants had improvement in knowledge but there were no changes in HbA1c levels or quality of life scores. Quality of life was not consistently associated with HbA1c. In general, participants did not perceive their quality of life was poor or feel having diabetes affected their social life. The issue participants worried about most was whether they would develop complications from diabetes. There were several weak points found among participant self-care behavior, particularly in diet-related matters. Despite no improvement in glycemic control, participants gained knowledge from attending the camp. Diet related self-care behavior is difficult for teenagers with T1D to be compliant.

Etiology and glycemic control among Thai children and adolescents with diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: There is little data on etiology and metabolic control in children and adolescents with diabetes in developing countries. OBJECTIVE: Determine the etiology of diabetes in Thai youths and to evaluate their glycemic control. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The authors retrospectively reviewed the case records of 157 patients seen at the Department of Pediatrics, Siriraj Hospital between 2003 and 2004. RESULT: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) comprised 83%, type 2 diabetes (T2D) 13%, and other types 4%. GAD65 and IA-2 antibodies were positive in 63% and 61% of T1D patients, and 0% and 9% of T2D patients, respectively. There were an increasing number of new cases, both T1D and T2D, during the study period compared with a previous study conducted at the hospital. Mean HbA1c in T1D and T2D were 8.9 +/- 2.1% and 6.2 +/- 1.80%, respectively (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Based on the present study, glycemic control appeared to be more satisfactory in T2D patients than those with T1D. Glycemic control among T1D patients was comparable to others in developed countries.

Intensive diabetes education program and multidisciplinary team approach in management of newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes mellitus: a greater patient benefit, experience at Siriraj Hospital.

It is accepted worldwide that an effective multidisciplinary management team is essential for providing comprehensive self-management training to type I diabetics and their families. Therefore, the authors developed an intensive multidisciplinary education team that included pediatric endocrinologists, a dietitian, a psychologist, nurses, scientists and volunteers in the Department of Pediatrics, Siriraj Hospital in August 1996. This study aimed to analyze twenty-four newly diagnosed diabetics who underwent this specified program and multidisciplinary team approach in comparison to twenty-eight diabetic patients who were diagnosed before the program and team were established in order to see whether the length of hospitalization had been reduced and to compare the readmission rates of recurrent DKA with previous patients. The results demonstrated that by using the intensive program and multidisciplinary team the average length of admission was reduced from 36.04 days to 17.63 days (p value = 0.03). The readmission rate in the first year after diagnosis was also reduced from 17.8 per cent to 4 per cent. Concerning diabetes control, the average HbA1c level showed significantly better control. Therefore, this study demonstrated a successful team and program for newly diagnosed Thai childhood and adolescent diabetics and also emphasized that a multidisciplinary team approach with an effectively intensive education program is important in helping diabetics and families cope with their emerging problems and receive the long-term benefits of effective self-care.