Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Conditions
Keywords
adolescence, self care
Brief summary
The investigators' long-term goal is to discover novel, inexpensive and feasible strategies to improve the management and well-being of youth with T1DM. The specific objective of this proposal is to quantify the impact of responsible pet ownership on the glycemic control and health related quality of life in youth with T1DM.
Detailed description
Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) affects 151,000 children and adolescents in the United States. Youth with T1DM are at a high risk for multiple psychosocial co-morbidities including poor health related quality of life (HRQoL) which is linked to medication non-compliance and increased risk for diabetes-related complications. Any reduction in the psychosocial adjustment difficulties related to T1DM could improve the medical outcome of children with T1DM. Current standards for diabetes management reflect the need to maintain glucose control within a normal range. However, numerous reports indicate that normalization of blood glucose levels is seldom attainable in children and adolescents. Family cohesion, positive coping strategies, younger age of onset, social support and adequate self-regulatory behavior are found to favorably influence glycemic control. One may conclude that the presence of a companion animal, capable of enhancing the positive factors named above, would augment the array of tools available for the successful management of chronic illnesses such as T1DM. There is a lack of studies assessing the impact of pet ownership on the health and well-being of adolescents. The process of caring for, loving and being loved by a companion animal could offer direct and/or indirect benefits to the HRQoL in children with T1DM. To the investigators' knowledge, there are no studies examining the impact of pet ownership on glycemic control and HRQoL in youth with T1DM.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALPet Fish
Participants will receive a betta fish and the supplies to care for the fish for a one year time period.
BEHAVIORALPicture of a fish
Participants will receive a picture of a betta fish.
Sponsors
University of Massachusetts, Worcester
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
10 Years to 17 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* English-speaking patients * 10 to 18 years * diagnosed with type 1 diabetes for at least 12 months * poor diabetes control as defined by having a hemoglobin A1c value \> 8%
Exclusion criteria
* type 2 diabetes * developmental delay * current participation in another study that may impact glycemic control
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Glycemic control | 12 months | Hemoglobin A1c values |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| HRQoL | 9 months | Generic and diabetes-specific health related quality of life |
| Self Management of Diabetes in Adolescents | 12 months | Self management of diabetes in adolescence questionnaire |
Other
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Health care burden | 12 months | Number of visits to the Emergency Department and inpatient hospitalizations for poor glycemic control |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed