Adolescents are increasingly being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (T2D), which severely affects their health and well-being and those of their families. However, few studies have looked at how parents can help keep their kids from developing prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, despite the disease’s substantial health repercussions. The goal was to learn how parents view the best methods for preventing their children from developing prediabetes and type 2 diabetes so that effective treatments may be designed. This second part of a 2-part study was directed by Thorne’s Interpretive Description method. Interviews were conducted with the parents (n=12) of high-risk adolescents with type 2 diabetes. This study was carried out in compliance with accepted norms for reporting qualitative research. Parents’ Understanding of T2D (High Blood Sugar, Severe Health Impacts, and Managing Your Diet) and It Takes a Village emerged as 2 themes with several subthemes (The Onus is on the Adolescent, Starts at Home with the Parents, They Need More Support, and Getting the Message in Their Face). These qualitative data were informative because they revealed that most parents lacked the fundamental information, practical experience, and/or financial means necessary to protect their children from developing prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. In addition to identifying specific areas for educational focus, the findings also highlighted the significance of leveraging social media to disseminate crucial information to teenagers. Parents also highlighted effective treatments for preventing prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. These findings, which underscore the pressing need for interventions to prevent juvenile prediabetes and T2D, were important in light of the rising disease incidence among teenagers. Participants lived experiences and suggestions for improving family-centered interventions that consider teenagers’ person-centered objectives and needs will inform future studies.
Source – bmcpediatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12887-022-03487-9
