Sustaining Adherence To Good Health Practices In Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus During The Pandemic

Background: Type 1 diabetes mellitus is a chronic disorder where diet, lifestyle, blood glucose monitoring and insulin administration are the pillars of management.Compliance to these measures becomes challenging and needs to be reinforced throughout lifetime, especially during adolescence.This study aimed to evaluate the effect of an adolescent-friendly strategy for diabetes education on sustaining adherence to correct treatment strategies in an outpatient clinic.Methods: Twenty-seven adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes in the study group, received two cycles of diabetes education on a quarterly basis in an outpatient setting.This model of education was personalized.Additional practice points were discussed as per adolescent friendly health approach, with inputs on self-awareness, critical thinking and problem solving.Ten pre-adolescent children served as internal controls who received standard diabetes education.The responses were reassessed after two cycles of education. Results:The knowledge on insulin administration and storage was correctly answered by 26 adolescents.Insulin injection techniques were correctly shown by only 10 adolescents and only 12 (44.4%)practiced safe needle disposal.The parents were the primary caregivers for preadolescent children who had a 70% score for correct insulin administration techniques.After two cycles of diabetes education, compliance to correct insulin administration techniques improved from 55.5% to 74% in adolescents, reiterating the need of personalized patient-centered model of care in Type 1 Diabetes.Conclusions: An adolescent friendly approach improves best practices and self-awareness about the disease.