Introduction
Diabetes in adolescents is a major global health concern and is the subject of various healthcare-related studies. As such, numerous literature materials have been published on diabetes in adolescents to help in dealing with the matter, since it affects different healthcare systems in the world. This essay identifies some of the peer-reviewed articles that qualitatively and/or quantitatively discuss diabetes in adolescents.
Discussion
Diabetes among adolescents is linked to various factors and is associated with numerous issues. A key factor in the management of the condition is the role of the peers. It is apparent that peers play significant roles in the general lives of adolescents. Consequently, Peters, Nawijn, and Kesteren (2014) appreciated the role peers have in assisting adolescent diabetes patients, especially in the management. The qualitative studies adopted revealed that adolescents with diabetes are more likely to seek emotional support from friends and peers.
However, it was also evident that stigmatization prevented some adolescents from making friends and, therefore, hindered more social support in the management of the problem.
Second, diabetes in adolescents is associated with mental health of the patients. The association prompted Sivertsen, Petrie, Wilhelmsen-Langeland, and Hysing (2014) to carry out a study to investigate the link between type 1 diabetes and mental health among adolescents. The results revealed that there are no links between the two health issues.
Third, diabetes has been linked to increased psychological disorders among adolescent patients. The controversies surrounding the psychological functioning and metabolic control in adolescents with diabetes have led to various studies, including the Ashraff, Siddiqui, and Carline (2013) study, which revealed that there was a possible link between general psychological functioning and metabolic control in adolescents with diabetes.
Fourth, various factors affect the compliance/noncompliance to medication among adolescents with diabetes. Cox and Hunt (2015) revealed that some of the factors that influence the compliance/adherence to the medication/management of diabetes among adolescents include pressure from parents, peer influence, and psychological factors such as depression.
Fifth, engaging adolescents in clinical trials is oftentimes faced with difficulties. Nguyena et al. (2014) established that gathering data through recruitment of adolescents with diabetes into clinical trials faces huge difficulties. The number of youth who participate in medical trials is relatively low and cannot be boosted even by monetary incentives.
Lastly, numerous studies have been done on epidemiology, pathogenesis, and the prevalence of diabetes globally. It is evident that the increasing prevalence of diabetes is linked to various causative factors. D’Adamo and Caprio (2011) indicated that the pathogenesis of diabetes among adolescents is rather complex and it involves various factors, including genetics and environmental factors. As such, dysfunctionalities of the liver and other diabetes-related organs are linked to various risk factors, which should be studied independently during epidemiological studies. For instance, the study revealed that race has some correlation with the prevalence of diabetes among adolescents. The minority groups in the US, for instance, had a relatively higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes. The higher rates of prevalence were observed among adolescents from African American and Hispanic groups relative to the rates of prevalence in Caucasian whites.
Nevertheless, the study indicated that the type 2 diabetes poses great health issues globally and, thus, diagnosis among all adolescents is vital in curbing the increasing prevalence.
Conclusion
It is evident that diabetes in adolescents is a major health concern and, thus, it has attracted the attention of various experts and scholars who have consequently published many articles on the issue. Some of the key areas of studies in diabetes in adolescents include peer/social support, associated health problems such as mental health, psychological relationships, medication compliance, and epidemiology/pathogenesis/prevalence.
References
Ashraff, S., Siddiqui, M. A., & Carline, T. E. (2013). The Psychosocial Impact of Diabetes in Adolescents: A Review. Oman Medical Journal, 28(3), 159-162.
Cox, L., & Hunt, J. (2015). Factors that Affect Adolescents’ Adherence to Diabetes Treatment. Nursing Children and Young People 27(1), 16-21.
D’Adamo, E., & Caprio S. (2011). Type 2 Diabetes in Youth: Epidemiology and Pathophysiology. Diabetes Care, 34(2), S161-S165. Web.
Nguyena, T. T., Jayadeva, V., Cizza, G., Brown, R. J., Nandagopal, R., Rodriguez, L. M., & Rother, K. I. (2014). Challenging Recruitment of Youth With Type 2 Diabetes Into Clinical Trials. Journal of Adolescent Health, 54(3), 247–254. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2013.08.017. Web.
Peters, L. W., Nawijn, L., & Kesteren, N. M. (2014). How Adolescents with Diabetes Experience Social Support from Friends: Two Qualitative Studies. Scientifica, 2014(2014), 1-8.
Sivertsen, B., Petrie, K. J., Wilhelmsen-Langeland, A., & Hysing, M. (2014). Mental health in adolescents with Type 1 diabetes: results from a large population-based study. BMC Endocrine Disorders, 2014(14), 83.