Effect of an eHealth care programme on glycaemic control and empowerment among adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus: a quasi-experimental study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.57177/idn.v18.343Keywords:
Adolescent, glycaemic control, empowerment, eHealth, type1 diabetes mellitusAbstract
Background: Adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) often face challenges in achieving optimal glycaemic control, which can lead to long-term complications. This study aimed to test the effect of an eHealth care programme on glycaemic control and empowerment among adolescents with T1D who exhibited poor glycaemic control.
Methods: This 1-year quasi-experimental study recruited 51 adolescents with T1D and suboptimal glycaemic control. Participants were allocated to an intervention group and a matched comparison group drawn from the National Diabetes Quality Register. Changes in glycaemic control metrics between the two groups as well as the empowerment scores within the intervention group were computed.
Results: The mean percent time above range (% TAR) decreased from 70.00 to 57.43% among the intervention group. A significant reduction in %TAR was observed in the intervention group compared to the comparison group (P < 0.001). However, no significant changes were found in other glycaemic control metrics between the two groups. The intervention group showed a significant improvement in the total Gothenburg Young Persons Empowerment Scale (GYPES) score, with the median score increasing from 60.67 [interquartile range (IQR) (59.00, 66.19)] at baseline to 63.65 [IQR (62.85, 64.12)] post-intervention (P = 0.002).
Conclusion: The eHealth care programme significantly reduced %TAR and improved empowerment scores among adolescents with T1D, indicating it could effectively support adolescents with poor glycaemic control. A randomised study is needed to confirm these findings and assess long-term effects.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Hirut Abebe, Salome Chiwewe, Cathrine Astermark , Magnus Sandberg , Irén Tiberg
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