Being an adolescent and living with type 1 diabetes mellitus: A qualitative inquiry.
George J Nkabinde-Thamae, Angie Ndhambi, Sipho W Mkhize
PMID 42683713WHAT IT FOUND
Adolescents living with type 1 diabetes described stress, anxiety, injection pain, and self-isolation.
They felt unsupported and wanted help with emotional well-being and daily diabetes routines.
Key findings
01The adolescents described profound emotional challenges, stress and anxiety associated with living with type 1 diabetes.
02They reported pain and discomfort from routine insulin injections and difficulty administering the injections on time.
03They isolated themselves from peers to avoid stigma and risky activities, and wanted more support from healthcare services and family.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Only 12 adolescents were interviewed, so the themes may not capture all experiences. Participants were recruited from public clinics and hospitals in Ekurhuleni, South Africa, so findings may not apply to private settings. Two pilot interviews were excluded from the analysis. The researchers did not follow up participants who were referred for counselling. The study reports experiences, not whether any support or intervention improves outcomes.
Declared interests
The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, or publication.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as proof that any support programme improves diabetes outcomes. The study only describes what 12 adolescents said about living with type 1 diabetes.