The impact on the family of living with a child with Type 1 diabetes

INTRODUCTION Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition in which the insulin-secreting beta cells of the pancreas have been destroyed, therefore ceasing to function. The resulting inability to produce insulin, a protein storage hormone which regulates carbohydrate metabolism, leads to hyperglycaemia and associated diabetes conditions such as glycosuria, ketonaemia and ketonuria (American Diabetes Association, 2009). Type 1 diabetes can manifest at any stage during the human life cycle, but is particularly demanding when it presents in a child. The diagnosis and ensuing care requirements can cause parental distress and anxiety, the effects of which may be long lasting (Haugstvedt, Wentzel‐Larsen, Rune, & Grate, 2011). It is a considerable undertaking for parents to maintain an intensive treatment regime when their child has Type 1 diabetes, as well as coping with everyday family demands (Couper et al., 2012; Williams, Laffel, & Hood, 2009). The need to further explore this issue led to the research question: ‘What is the impact on the family of living with a child with Type 1 diabetes?’ AIM OF THE RESEARCH The aim of this study was to increase understanding of the impact on the family of living with a child with Type 1 diabetes, enabling health professionals to provide more responsive and appropriate care. This study provided an opportunity for parents/caregivers to describe how having a child with diabetes affects their family. Sharing this knowledge will help health professionals recognise the pressures that may adversely affect parents/caregivers’ ability to manage the complexities of Type 1 diabetes in a child. METHODOLOGY The researcher adopted a qualitative descriptive approach in this study, seeking to understand personal experiences from the perspectives of the participants themselves (Whitehead, 2007). Six semi-structured face-to‐face interviews were conducted with parents/caregivers of a child, aged between four and 14 years, who had been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at least 12 months previously. A general inductive approach (Thomas, 2006) was utilized to analyse the data, culminating with the identification of meaningful themes. FINDINGS Several themes emerged which captured the essence of family experiences surrounding a child with Type 1 diabetes. These themes included disruption to family life, impact on family relationships, the psychosocial effects of living with Type 1 diabetes, and adaptation to a ‘new normal’. They describe the realities of the impact of diabetes, revealing the considerable level of understanding and support required to adequately and competently foster optimal diabetes care for children and their families.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Nursing

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Grantor

Eastern Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2013

Author dc:creator

• Symons, Julie

• New Zealand
• parents
• care givers
• children
• type 1 diabetes
• impacts
• families
• lived experiences
• interviews

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10652/6448

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:null:10652/6448