Family Factors in Young People With Diabetes: a Qualitative Study

Family is an important factor in the self-management of type 1 diabetes by children and young people. Existing research has explored the experience of living with diabetes, considered from the perspective of children and parents, but has not provided children's diabetes teams with the information they need to support young people with higher blood glucose levels, and therefore higher risks of long term complications related to their diabetes. During this qualitative study the researcher will meet with young people (aged 12-15yrs) and their families for a joint interview, held in the family home, exploring the factors which they consider important in diabetes self-management. One interview will be held with each family. Recruitment of 8 families is planned. The interviews will be recorded and transcribed to allow thematic analysis, allowing identification of common factors considered to be important by families. The HbA1c of young people with diabetes is checked regularly in clinic and provides an assessment of blood glucose levels over the preceding months. Higher HbA1c levels are associated with higher risk of long term complications. The index young people will be recruited in 2 groups: one group will have lower risk of long term complications (identified by an HbA1c level of \<58mmol/mol). The other will have higher risk (HbA1c 75-100mmol/mol). A comparison will be made between the families in each group, to identify which themes are more common in the lower or higher risk groups.