Clarifying responsibility for self-management in adolescents with diabetes using insulin pumps : a qualitative study

• Aim: To gain insight into and generate theoretical knowledge about the processes involved when insulin pump-treated adolescents take or miss taking their bolus doses. Background: Insulin pump treatment is considered the most physiological way to imitate the healthy body’s insulin profile in adolescents with diabetes. Despite insulin pump-treatment, it is hard to maintain near-normal glucose control in adolescents; one reason for this is missed bolus doses to meals. Method: In this qualitative interview study, the grounded theory method was chosen as a model for the collection and analysis of data. Twelve adolescents (5 males and 7 females, mean age 14.4 years, range 12-19 years) from different Swedish paediatric diabetes clinics, four parents and one paediatric diabetes nurse were interviewed during 2008 and 2009. Findings: Responsibility in the context of taking or missing bolus doses emerged as the core category. It is elaborated and explained through three subcategories: distribution of responsibility, transfer of responsibility and clarifying of responsibility. The distribution of responsibility was clear among those who took most of their doses; they had high personal responsibility or shared it with their parents. The optimal transfer of responsibility is when it gradually moves from the parents to the adolescent. The findings revealed a need to clarify the responsibility for diabetes self-management in continuous negotiations between adolescents and parents to avoid missed bolus doses. Conclusion: Negotiations to clarify the responsibility for diabetes self-management must be a continuous process between adolescents and parents. Diabetes care teams may facilitate and encourage these negotiations.

Nyckelord

adolescent parenting

adolescents

diabetes mellitus type 1

grounded theory

insulin pump

interviews

nursing

Diabetology

Diabetologi

Paediatric medicine

Pediatrisk medicin

Nursing

Omvårdnad

Vårdvetenskap

Caring Sciences

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