Abstract
Background
Type 1 diabetes (juvenile diabetes) is a chronic metabolic disorder that causes the pancreas to make little or no insulin in children. Symptoms of juvenile diabetes can develop in just a few months. It has a major impact on the quality of life of children and the lived experiences of their parents, particularly mothers.
Methodology
A mixed-method convergent parallel design was used, and a sample size of 60 children with type 1 diabetes was selected for the quantitative approach. A semi-structured focus group interview was conducted with 20 mothers to assess the lived experiences of mothers of children with diabetes. Socio-demographic data, the clinical profile of type 1 DM children and PedsQL™ Generic Core Scale were used for the quantitative approach.
Result
Almost equal proportions (38%) of children had good and average quality of life, as per children’s self-reports and parent proxy reports. However, about 18% of children reported that they had a poor quality of life, while 13% of parents reported that their children had a poor quality of life. Three themes were extracted from the lived experiences of mothers: sharing experiences of care; personal, psychosocial, and schooling concerns; and barriers to quality care for diabetic children.
Conclusion
In the present study, the majority of diabetic children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes had a good quality of life, as per diabetic children’s self-reports and parents’ proxy reports. Quality of life was found to be good in the social domain in comparison with other domains. Mothers of children with diabetes dealt with the challenges of managing physical symptoms, had concerns about their children’s future, and faced various personal, psychosocial, and financial management issues. Therefore, by identifying these experiences and challenges, we can say that mothers of diabetic children need a unique and flexible program on diabetes management.
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