Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Adolescence represents the passage from childhood to adulthood, this transition is characterized by physical and psychological transformations as well as many social challenges. The presence of chronic disease such as diabetes makes this a major challenge.

Purpose: Describe the impact of diabetes on the school career of adolescents during the transition period.

Methods: Descriptive study involving 79 young people aged 15 to 20 years cared for in hospitalization or in transition diabetology consultation.

Results: The average age is 16.2 years, divided into 38% young men and 62% young girls. The duration of diabetes evolution is 7.93 ± 4.02 years. Late pediatric transition was noted in 5% of patients. Glycemic control is poor (average HBA1c = 11.19 ± 2.12%). Diabetic retinopathy is present in 7.5%. We note that 29% have left school voluntarily, 59% say they have academic difficulties, only 12% say they are fulfilled and plan to go to higher education. The main causes reported are; the stigmatization of the entourage and denigration of the person in 35%, 28% are ashamed to inject themselves in a public environment, 12% incriminate the number of hospitalizations, 29% mark the frequency of hypoglycaemia at school, and alone 7% blame the decline in visual acuity.

Conclusion: Adolescent diabetes is a major challenge for the attending physician, the patient and his family, requiring close monitoring, psychological care and education of those around him