Endocrine Abstracts

Children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes treated at University College Hospital London (UCLH) from an African background have poorer glycaemic control compared to the British population (British mean HbA1c 7.8 (0.1), African mean HbA1c 9.4 (0.5) P<0.001).

Haemoglobin A1c is an element of the haemoglobin to which glucose is bound. The ideal range is between 6.5 and 7.5% and is considered to represent good glycaemic control. Patients who persistently have an HbA1c over 8.0% are at increased risk of the long-term complications of diabetes, retinopathy, neuropathy and nephropathy. The purpose of the study is to find appropriate educational methods to improve HbA1c.

We undertook an observational study over a 1 year period with patients self-allocated by attending the support group or not. The intervention was support groups involving translated education sessions, meeting with other children and families with good glycaemic control, culturally specific dietary advice and translated advice leaflets.

Data was available in full for 15 participants. One patient was lost to follow up. Four support groups were run with participants attending on average 2–3 of the sessions (intervention). In the intervention group the average HbA1c was 8.8% (2.3) before and 7.8% (1.5) P=0.3 after attending at least three support group sessions. In the control group the average HbA1c before was 9.0% (1.0) and after 8.8%(1.2) P>0.5.

This preliminary data suggests there may be an improvement in HbA1c due to a support group intervention. The sample size is small and due to the self-selection bias may have been introduced. Nonetheless the data suggest larger randomised trials of group intervention are warranted.