Do Public Schools Provide Optimal Support for Children With Diabetes?

The obesity epidemic among children has received considerable attention in the media — partly in response to two important reports by the Institute of Medicine on the topic (1,2). The parallel rise in diabetes mellitus among children is an equally important topic but is less discussed, even though diabetes has become one of the most common chronic diseases among youth. The estimated prevalence of type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus among U.S. children or youth aged 17 years or younger was 3.2 per 1,000 (which means that there were about 229,240 children or youth aged <18 years with diabetes in the United States) in 2003–2004 (3). The public schools are important locations for secondary prevention interventions to help these children and youth minimize their risk for complications associated with diabetes. We investigated the diabetes knowledge and preparedness among members of the faculty and staff of schools in Oregon, as well as barriers to school support for students with diabetes.