Exploring Family Perspectives on a Group-Based Hands-on Advanced Carbohydrate Counting Education Program for Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes: A Qualitative Study

TL;DR

This study explores how families of children with type 1 diabetes experience a group-based carbohydrate counting program designed for young people.

Contribution

The study introduces a child-centered, group-based approach to diabetes education that emphasizes peer interaction and engagement.

Findings

Peer interaction is crucial for sharing and learning in diabetes education.

Normalizing diabetes in daily life helps reduce the disease burden for children.

A playful and safe environment is essential for engaging young people in their treatment.

Abstract

The care needs of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes and their families are frequently approached as if they were identical to those of adults, overlooking the distinct challenges young people may face. It has been stated that children and adolescents often find conventional conversations with diabetes specialists tiresome and unpleasant. The present study focuses on familial experiences of an advanced carbohydrate counting program tailored to children and adolescents. The data encompass semi-structured interviews with families who participated in a group-based child-centered advanced carbohydrate counting program. The analysis revealed five themes: (1) peer-to-peer interaction is an essential determinant of sharing and learning; (2) illness perception significantly influences dietary intake; (3) normalization of diabetes in everyday life eases the disease burden; (4) repetition of dietary knowledge is important for retention; and (5) creating a safe and playful learning environment is crucial to engaging children and adolescents in their own treatment. The present findings suggest that it would be beneficial to explore and consider alternative teaching approaches that are adapted to a more interactive and engaging learning environment that is specifically tailored to children and adolescents. This entails moving away from traditional individual approaches.