The relationship between maternal fear of hypoglycaemia and compliance in children with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus

Background - Regular blood glucose monitoring is important for children with type-1 diabetes; however, the relationship between maternal fear of hypoglycaemia and glycaemic control is not well understood. Purpose-The relationship between maternal beliefs about diabetes, concerns about glycaemic cont...

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Main Authors: Freckleton, E., Sharpe, L., Mullan, Barbara
Format: Journal Article
Published: Springer New York LLC 2013
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/44512
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author Freckleton, E.
Sharpe, L.
Mullan, Barbara
author_facet Freckleton, E.
Sharpe, L.
Mullan, Barbara
author_sort Freckleton, E.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Background - Regular blood glucose monitoring is important for children with type-1 diabetes; however, the relationship between maternal fear of hypoglycaemia and glycaemic control is not well understood. Purpose-The relationship between maternal beliefs about diabetes, concerns about glycaemic control and adherence to recommended blood glucose levels in young children with type-1 diabetes were examined in this study. Method- Seventy-one mothers with children under 13 were recruited, and a prospective design was used. Demographics, maternal self-reported hypoglycaemic fear and illness perceptions were measured at baseline. Self-report daily blood sugar levels were recorded over 1 week, and glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) blood glucose levels were collected at baseline and 3 months later. Results- High maternal fears of hypoglycaemia were predictive of suboptimal daily glycaemic control (elevated blood glucose levels), irrespective of illness duration or age at diagnosis. Conclusion- The results suggest that mothers who worry most about hypoglycaemia compensate by maintaining their child’s blood glucose levels above recommended levels. Elevated blood glucose levels have important consequences for long-term health, and further research could explore ways to target maternal fear of hypoglycaemia.
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institution Curtin University Malaysia
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publishDate 2013
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-445122017-09-13T14:10:11Z The relationship between maternal fear of hypoglycaemia and compliance in children with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus Freckleton, E. Sharpe, L. Mullan, Barbara Background - Regular blood glucose monitoring is important for children with type-1 diabetes; however, the relationship between maternal fear of hypoglycaemia and glycaemic control is not well understood. Purpose-The relationship between maternal beliefs about diabetes, concerns about glycaemic control and adherence to recommended blood glucose levels in young children with type-1 diabetes were examined in this study. Method- Seventy-one mothers with children under 13 were recruited, and a prospective design was used. Demographics, maternal self-reported hypoglycaemic fear and illness perceptions were measured at baseline. Self-report daily blood sugar levels were recorded over 1 week, and glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) blood glucose levels were collected at baseline and 3 months later. Results- High maternal fears of hypoglycaemia were predictive of suboptimal daily glycaemic control (elevated blood glucose levels), irrespective of illness duration or age at diagnosis. Conclusion- The results suggest that mothers who worry most about hypoglycaemia compensate by maintaining their child’s blood glucose levels above recommended levels. Elevated blood glucose levels have important consequences for long-term health, and further research could explore ways to target maternal fear of hypoglycaemia. 2013 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/44512 10.1007/s12529-013-9360-8 Springer New York LLC restricted
spellingShingle Freckleton, E.
Sharpe, L.
Mullan, Barbara
The relationship between maternal fear of hypoglycaemia and compliance in children with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus
title The relationship between maternal fear of hypoglycaemia and compliance in children with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus
title_full The relationship between maternal fear of hypoglycaemia and compliance in children with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus
title_fullStr The relationship between maternal fear of hypoglycaemia and compliance in children with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus
title_full_unstemmed The relationship between maternal fear of hypoglycaemia and compliance in children with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus
title_short The relationship between maternal fear of hypoglycaemia and compliance in children with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus
title_sort relationship between maternal fear of hypoglycaemia and compliance in children with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/44512