Parenting Intervention to Improve Nutrition and Physical Activity for Preschoolers with Type 1 Diabetes: A Feasibility Study.
Carrie Tully, Eleanor Mackey, Laura Aronow and 5 others
PMID 29954648WHAT IT FOUND
The 12-week parenting program was feasible and acceptable for families of young children with type 1 diabetes.
This small, uncontrolled study cannot show improved glucose, nutrition, or activity, and continuous glucose monitoring was hard to keep using.
Key findings
01The program was feasible and acceptable: 10 families enrolled, 9 families with complete baseline data finished the intervention and follow-up, and parents rated satisfaction as very satisfied.
02Continuous glucose monitoring was the most challenging device, and only two participants who were new to it returned usable follow-up data.
03Preliminary change was mixed and not proof of efficacy: mean hemoglobin A1c did not significantly change, mean blood glucose declined, and nutrition and physical activity did not significantly change.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 10 families enrolled, and only 9 families had complete baseline data, so the study is too small to test whether the program works. There was no control group, so before-to-after changes cannot be separated from time, monitoring, or other program components. The intervention delivered six parenting sessions, educator consultation, parent coaches, homework, text messages, and monitoring technologies together, so the contribution of any single component cannot be separated. Group-level continuous glucose monitor changes were not calculated because only 6 participants wore it at both time points. Follow-up continuous glucose monitor data were sparse, especially among families new to the device. The sample came from one outpatient clinic, so it may not represent all families with young children with type 1 diabetes.
Declared interests
The authors reported no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the program improved diabetes control. It included six parenting sessions, a certified diabetes educator consultation, parent coaches, homework, text messages, and monitoring technologies, and the study had no control group. Because all parts were given together, any change cannot be separated from any one part.