EVALUATION OF PARENTS’ SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND EDUCATIONAL FACTORS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF ADOLESCENT PATIENTS WITH TYPE-1 DIABETES IN CALABAR NIGERIA
Justina N. Nwangwa, *Samuel A. Seriki and Ignatius K. Nyoro
ABSTRACT
Background/Aim: Type 1 diabetes is a chronic illness characterized by the body’s inability to produce insulin due to the autoimmune destruction of the beta cells in the pancreas. Onset most often occurs in childhood, but the disease can also develop in adults in their late 30s and early 40s. This study was carried out to evaluate the management outcome in Type-1 diabetes adolescents in Calabar, as it relates to patients’ parents socio-economic and educational factors. Method: A total of nineteen (19) diabetic adolescent attending selected clinics in Calabar and another 19 age-and-sex matched healthy adolescents were used for this study. Results: Body weight of the diabetic group correlated positively (r= 0.049*) with educational status of fathers. The systolic blood pressure (SBP) of diabetic subjects correlated positively (r= 0.546*, P<0.05) with the educational status of mothers. Positive correlation (r=0.7975; P<0.05) was observed in the relationship between parent’s economics status and height in diabetic females. Majority of the parents were of the middle and high social class. Academic performance rating of the adolescent diabetics was significantly (P<0.05) lower compared with controls. In most of the patients, late presentation, frequent hospitalization and prolonged hospital stay was observed. HbAIC% in diabetic adolescent females showed significant relationship (r = 0.923; p<0.001) with parent economic status. Two deaths occurred in the course of this study. Glycaemic control was suboptimal however combination therapy of diet and insulin was observed to improve the wellbeing of diabetic adolescents in this study. Conclusion: Education and enhanced economic status of parents correlate positively with glycaemic control, anthropometric parameters and general wellbeing of the diabetic subjects, especially those that received diet and insulin therapy. Hence, glycated haemoglobin appeared to be a very dependable marker for diagnosis of diabetes mellitus in adolescents.
Keywords: Diabetes mellitus, Adolescent, Socio-economic factor, Educational factor.
[Full Text Article]
[Download Certificate]