Students' experiences of managing type 1 diabetes

Aim

To explore the experiences of young people managing their type 1 diabetes at college or university.

Method

A convenience sample of 23 students, aged 17–19 years, with type 1 diabetes participated in semi-structured telephone interviews.

Findings

Thematic data analysis identified four main themes: balancing diabetes and further education; adverse diabetes management strategies at college or university; reduced quality of life with regard to participation in social events; and problematic transition from paediatric to adult diabetes clinics.

Conclusion

Young people often face difficulties in their diabetes self-management at college or university because of psychosocial issues, and may experience barriers when changing from paediatric to adult diabetes clinics.

Psychosocial issues and the transition from children's to adult services can hinder college and university students' abilities to control their insulin regimen, says Valerie Wilson