Improved Health-related Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes: A Two-year Prospective Family Intervention RCT Study

The aim of this two-year prospective RCT-study was to evaluate children’s HRQOL after a family intervention providing support with four sessions for six months following diagnosis of type 1 diabetes (T1DM), with follow-up sessions at 12, 18, and 24 months. Ninety-eight children aged 3-15 years, recently diagnosed with T1DM, participated with their parents. At six and 24 months after diagnosis, the child, mother, and father independently completed the PedsQL 4.0 Generic Scale and PedsQL 3.0 Diabetes Module Scale, and the child’s glycemic control (HbA1c value) was measured. After six months, children in the intervention group had better generic HRQOL than the control group (P < 0.03). At 24 months, these children and their fathers rated the child’s diabetes-specific HRQOL as significantly better (P < 0.01, P < 0.04) and the child’s worry as lower (P < 0.02, P < 0.03) compared to the control group. Communication skills improved significantly over time in the intervention group (P < 0.01). There were no significant differences between control and intervention group regarding glycemic control, measured as HbA1c, either at 6 or 24 months. This study highlights the importance of psychological support after the onset of T1DM, especially facilitating communication skills within the family in the immediate and ongoing care.