Socio-psychological factors and metabolic control in juvenile diabetes.

The influence of exogenous and environmental factors on metabolic control was studied in 58 insulin treated juvenile diabetics, 6-17 years of age. Duration of diabetes varied between 3-14 years and age at onset of diabetes between 1-13 years. The social situation as well as knowledge about and attitudes towards diabetes among the patients and their parents were estimated by interviews, questionnaires and special tests. The quality of the diet, exercise and insulin treatment was assessed. An index of diabetic control was calculated on the basis of the patients daily urinalysis made at home. Multiple regression analysis and a special statistical "instrumental" variable technique were used in an effort to analyse the correlations between all variables. The social situation of the diabetic children was comparable with that of other Swedish children, but many parents felt the economic burden of the diabetic treatment as a problem. Knowledge tests showed that 25% of the parents and 62% of the patients above 12 years had unsatisfactory knowledge about diabetes. However, 93% of the patients seemed to have predominantly positive attitudes towards the treatment. Severe psychological problems had occurred in 7 cases. Food habits were appropriate among 21% of the patients and 26% had very regular exercise customs. Physical exercise seemed to be the most important of the exogenous factors for the diabetic control (p less than 0.001). Among teenagers knowledge was positively correlated to positive attitudes which in turn were positively correlated to physical exercise. Instrumental variable technique gave further indications of a positive influence of knowledge on control, and the correlation between diabetic control on one hand and knowledge combined with positive attitudes on the other was significantly positive. The results emphasize the importance of assisting young diabetic patients and their families in their socio-psychological adaptation to the strains of diabetic therapy.