Wales

Research published into outcomes and experience of children and young people with type 1 diabetes in Wales

Originally published Friday 31st July 2015

Two papers based on research carried out in Wales show the links between Type 1 diabetes and increased risk of hospital admission, and explore the feelings of children and families towards clinical appointments.

‘Evidence for a persistent, major excess in all cause admissions to hospital in children with type-1 diabetes: results from a large Welsh national matched community cohort study’ used the Brecon Group Register of childhood diabetes in Wales linked to hospital admissions data within the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Databank.

The study, published in BMJ Open, found that children with type 1 diabetes are almost five times more likely than others to be admitted to hospital for any reason, with pre-school children most at risk of admission. The study identified different admission rates based on socio-economic circumstances, and also a reduced risk of admission for children receiving regular care in larger treatment centres.

‘The Experience of Living with Type 1 Diabetes and Attending Clinic from the Perception of Children, Adolescents and Carers: Analysis of Qualitative Data from the DEPICTED Study’ used qualitative descriptive analysis of free-text comments from children, adolescents and carers.

The article, published in the Journal of Pediatric Nursing identified the emotional impact of living with type 1 diabetes, and how health professionals’ communication skills in clinic influence the experience of patients and their families or carers.

Both articles are available online and are free to access: