Think-Find-Solve Activities for Insulin Self-Management in Type 1 Diabetes

Description

Children with type 1 diabetes require lifelong insulin therapy. However, improper management of insulin therapy may lead to serious, potentially life-threatening complications. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of an activity book developed for insulin therapy on insulin self-management among children with type 1 diabetes and their parents. The study is designed as a cluster randomized controlled experimental trial at the center level, including pre-test, 1- month, and 3-month follow-up measurements. The study will be initiated after obtaining ethical approval and institutional permissions. The sample will consist of children aged 8-12 years with type 1 diabetes and their parents. The study will be conducted in two different hospitals in Istanbul; using cluster randomization, one hospital will be assigned to the intervention group and the other to the control group. Prior to the main study, a pilot study will be conducted with 15 participants in each group, and the sample size will be calculated using G\*Power based on the pilot data. Data will be collected using the "Descriptive Information Form for Children with Diabetes" and the "Insulin Treatment Self-Management Scale (ITSMS) - Child (8-18 years) and Parent Forms." The "Find-Solve-Learn Insulin Self-Management Activity Book" will be applied to the children in the intervention group. The children will be monitored to complete the activity book at least twice a month for three months, and feedback will be obtained from their families regarding the process. The data collection process will include pre-test, 1-month, and 3-month follow-up measurements. The obtained data will be analyzed using appropriate statistical methods.

Interventions

• Insulin Self-Management Know-Find-Solve Activity Book (Other)
  The Insulin Self-Management Find-Search-Solve Activity Book was developed based on national and international literature to improve insulin-related self-management skills in children aged 8-12 years with type 1 diabetes. It aims to help children distinguish correct and incorrect insulin practices, take responsibility, make appropriate decisions, and apply their knowledge in daily life. The erasable and reusable book was designed to be safe and child-friendly. It contains 19 activities across 22 pages, including puzzles, word searches, matching, coloring, fill-in-the-blanks, true-false questions, riddles, and identification of insulin injection sites. Six experts evaluated the book, and the overall Content Validity Index calculated using the Davis technique was 0.98. Following pilot testing, the book will be finalized according to participant feedback.
• Routine education (Other)
  Parents' contact information will be obtained, and the follow-up process will be maintained. The same data collection tools will be administered at time points parallel to those of the intervention group. After completion of the study, in line with the principle of ethical equity, children in the control group will also be given the "Insulin Self-Management Know-Find-Solve Activity Book" as a gift.

Eligibility criteria

Conditions

Locations

• Marmara University — Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye)