INTRODUCTION: Young people with type 1 diabetes and their parents need to receive person-centred education to be able to manage their diabetes. Guided Self-Determination-Young (GSD-Y) is a person-centred communication and reflection education model that can be used in educational programmes for young people with type 1 diabetes.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether GSD-Y leads to improved glycaemic control, increased self-perceived health and health-related quality of life, fewer diabetes-related family conflicts, and improved self-efficacy in a group-based intervention for adolescents starting continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) and their parents.
METHODS: This randomized controlled trial included 71 adolescents starting CSII. Participants were followed for twelve months. The intervention group (n=37) attended seven group training sessions over a period of five months, using the GSD-Y model, the control group received standard care. Variables evaluated were HbA1c, self-perceived health, health-related quality of life, family conflicts, self-efficacy, and usage of continuous glucose monitoring.
RESULTS: When adjusted for sex and family conflicts, there was a difference in glycaemic control between the groups at twelve months, favouring the intervention group (62 vs. 70 mmol/mol, p=0.009). When analyses were performed on boys and girls separately and adjusted for family conflicts, the only difference detected was for boys after twelve months (p=0.019). The intervention showed no effect on self-perceived health, health-related related quality of life, family conflicts, or self-efficacy.
CONCLUSIONS: An intervention with GSD-Y may have an effect on glycaemic control. The content of the GSD-Y groups may serve as a model for person-centred care in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
2019. Vol. 20, no 7, p. 986-996