Knowledge of young people living with type 1 diabetes and their caregivers about its management.
Bernard Afriyie Owusu, Prince Ofori-Boateng, Angus Forbes and 1 others
PMID 36448367WHAT IT FOUND
Young people with type 1 diabetes in Ghana knew how to check blood sugar and treat high levels, but struggled with carbohydrate counting and hypoglycaemia.
Families relied on peers and internet sources, which sometimes gave unsafe advice like using metformin for type 1.
Key findings
01Participants possessed substantial knowledge of self-monitoring blood glucose and treating hyperglycaemia with insulin, but had marginal knowledge of carbohydrate counting and managing hypoglycaemia.
02Knowledge sources included healthcare providers, a non-governmental support group, internet searches, and family members, with some caregivers using type 2 diabetes treatments like metformin for type 1 patients when insulin was unavailable.
03Young people and caregivers reported that healthcare providers often lacked understanding of their specific needs, particularly during pregnancy or when presenting with unrelated symptoms.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted only in southern Ghana, limiting generalisability to other regions or countries. Most participants were members of a specific support group (Diabetes Youth Care), which may mean their baseline knowledge was higher than that of the general population of young people with type 1 diabetes. The reliance on self-reported knowledge and experiences may not reflect actual clinical management behaviours.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflict of interest. Financial support was received from the Samuel and Emelia Brew-Butler/SGS/GRASAG-UCC Research Grant.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that patients who can check their own blood sugar have adequate knowledge of insulin dosing or hypoglycaemia management. This study found that despite good self-monitoring skills, many participants lacked critical knowledge about carbohydrate counting and safe treatment of low blood sugar, and relied on potentially unsafe advice from family members.