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Psycho-behavioral changes in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus
Xiao-Ping Zheng, Shuo-Hui Chen
Hangzhou, China
Author Affiliations: Department of Endocrinology, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine and Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics, Zhejiang University, Ministry of Education, Hangzhou, China (Zheng XP, Chen SH)
Corresponding Author: Shuo-Hui Chen, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 57 Zhugan Xiang, Hangzhou 310003, China (Tel: +86-13588887709; Fax: +86-571-87033296; Email: sh89925@sina.com)
doi: 10.1007/s12519-013-0428-y
Background: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is the most common type of diabetes in children. This study aimed to investigate psycho-behavioral changes in Chinese children with T1DM and to provide some advices for nurses, parents and other persons.
Methods: Forty-five patients with T1DM (26 boys and 19 girls with a mean age of 10.40¡À3.01 years) were enrolled. According to the glycosylated hemoglobin levels recommended by the American Diabetes Association, the patients were subdivided into a well-controlled group and a poorly-controlled group. Fifty-three healthy children served as a control group. Psycho-behavioral changes were investigated by using Achenbach's Child Behavior Check List.
Results: Compared with the control group, the patients with T1DM had significantly higher mean scores for withdrawal, anxiety/depression, attention problems, delinquent behavior, aggressive behavior, externalizing problems, and internalizing problems (P<0.017). Moreover, the mean scores for somatic complaints in the poorly-controlled subgroup were significantly higher than those in the well-controlled subgroup (t=3.582, P=0.001). Compared with the control group, the well-controlled subgroup had higher scores for withdrawal, anxiety/depression, and internalizing problems (P<0.017). But the poorly-controlled subgroup had higher scores for withdrawal, somatic complaint, anxiety/depression, delinquent behavior, aggressive behavior, externalizing and internalizing problems (P<0.017).
Conclusions: Children with T1DM may have some psycho-behavioral problems. Timely nursing interventions must be conducted to solve these problems.
Key words: behavior; Child Behavior Check List; psychology; type 1 diabetes mellitus
World J Pediatr 2013;9(3):261-265
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