An educational course for young people with type 1 diabetes: impact on self-management and well-being

Abstract

Background: Young adults (16-25) with type 1 diabetes are at high risk of sub-optimal glycaemic control, and may experience significant diabetes-related physical and psychosocial impacts. WICKED (Working with Insulin, Carbohydrate, Ketones and Exercise to manage Type 1 diabetes) is a structured educational course that was developed to meet the specific needs of this age group as part of health service provision. This study presents the preliminary evaluation of the WICKED course conducted as part of an extended pilot study. Method: Participants completed questionnaires before the start and at the end of the WICKED course assessing: Diabetes-Related Distress (DDS), Self-efficacy, Positive/Negative Outcome Expectancies, Child Attitudes to Illness Scale (CATIS), Hypoglycaemic Fear Scale (HFS), perceived Knowledge of Type 1 Diabetes and Self-Reported Frequency of Self-management Behaviours. Paired sample t-tests were conducted to analyse the data. Findings: 32 young people (17 women, age range: 16-25, mean age: (19) participated across six courses in two centres in the North of England. Self-efficacy (p<.001), Negative Outcome Expectancy (p=.030) Perceived Knowledge (p<.001) and Self-Reported Frequency of Self-Management Behaviours (p=.008) increased immediately after the WICKED course. There were no significant changes in other assessed outcomes over the duration of the course. Conclusion: WICKED had an immediate positive effect on outcomes related to self-management, but did not increase diabetes distress or fear of hypoglycaemia. Further follow-up will establish if this improvement in self-management outcomes is sustained and assess the long term impact on distress.