The Effect of Consulting Via Internet on Fear of Hypoglycemia and Metabolic Control in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes

Abstract

This research was conducted to serve as finding consequences of web nursing consultancy on regarding the fear of hypoglycemia and metabolic control in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Adolescents at outpatient with type 1 diabetes, aged 12-17 in Ege University Faculty of Medicine Hospital Pediatric Endocrinology Policlinic have been stratified “random sampling” method as Intervention and Control Groups. All through 3 months, an internet consultancy about hypoglycemia management was made to Intervention Group. ''Information Form for Adolescents and Parents'', '' New Children’s Hypoglycemia Fear Scale” and ‘‘Diabetes Management Schedule” were used as data collecting tools. In this research, it was determined that average points of hypoglycemia fear of adolescents in Intervention group is much less than Control group’s and statistically the difference is significantly meaningful. (p<0.05). No significant difference between two groups was read on the effect of Internet Consultancy’ on adolescents’ metabolic controls (HbA1c) (p>0.05); whereas it is also identified that HbA1c values of Intervention group is lessened compared to Control Group’s HbA1c values. As a result, the nursing consultation conducted over the internet for adolescents with type 1 diabetes was found to be effective on the fear of hypoglycaemia and metabolic control.

Keywords: Hypoglycemia, Fear of hypoglycemia, Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Adolescents, Consulting via internet