two-thirds had felt embarrassed about their diabetes and were more likely to have poor blood sugar control than the one-third who did not experience stigma. over the previous year, this larger group was also more likely to have had either one or more events of dangerously low blood sugar that required help from another person, or an a1c level above 9%. (a1c is a measure of average blood sugar levels over the last two or three months; the target for most people with diabetes is 7% or less.) the study, which was published in the journal of medical internet research , also found that feelings of stigma were slightly more common among females (68%) than males (59%).
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did you know?
through the
virtual peer network
, young people (ages 14 to 24) with type 1 diabetes can connect with their peers, and share experiences, information, tools, and videos. the private facebook group, which was created by diabetes canada in partnership with the canadian institutes for health research, will also help researchers in canada pinpoint what research is important for youth living with type 1 diabetes.
this article appeared in diabetes dialogue.