Background:
@EN Children are constantly changing organisms and educational process must be concordant with children's developmental state. For children and adolescents with IDDM. The gradual achievement of self-care independence is one of the important goal
of
diabetes education. Several studies have been revealed age dependent effects of various interventions of diabetes education. Several studies have been revealed age dependent effects of various interventions of diabetes education, implicating that
cognitive maturity is important for the diabetes care skill mastery. This study was performed to make a preliminary guideline regarding to children's mastery age of diabetes care skill at which children with IDDM are able to master this skill.
@ES Methods:
@EN Subjects were recruited from the 7 th Summer Diabetes Camp which was held from August 8~11, 1992. Subjects consisted of 12 parents of children with IDDM, 14 adolescents with IDDM, and 27 camp staffs. A questionnaire was made that "What age do
you
think typical children with IDDM are able to master each diabetes care skills from your experience" The questionnaire contained 30 diabets care skills including 3 questions abut management of hypoglycemia, 5 questions about management of
hyperglycemia,
3 questions about management of hyperglycemia, 3 questions of self blood glucose monitoring. 5 questions about diet, 10 questions about insulin injection, and 4 questions about exercise.
@ES Results:
@EN Age estimates at what age children with IDDM master 30 diabetes self-care skills, revealed that median mastery ages were 7 to 14 years of age for all 30 skills. Most discordance of mastery age for diabetes self-care skills among 3 groups was
found
in the diet therapy. Management of hypoglycemia, and insulin injections. The discordance of mastery age in the diet therapy indicated that parents and adolescents with IDDM had difficulties in understanding the food exchange system.
@ES Conclusion:
@EN The median mastery ages of diabetes self-care sills showed that the age of elementary school was important for the achievement of self-care independence. Developmentally appropriate diabetes education during this peroid is absolutely
necessary
for
the children with IDDM.
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