Cognitive/behavioural barriers towards optimal glucose control in T1DM
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating the possible cognitive and behavioural barriers to optimal glucose control in people with Type 1 Diabetes.
IRAS ID
188887
Contact name
Stephanie Amiel
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 2 months, 29 days
Research summary
We wish to study the attitudes and behaviours of people with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) towards hyperglycaemia (high blood glucose) and hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose). Evidence has suggested that people with frequent episodes of hypoglycaemia and an impaired awareness of hypoglycaemia (reduced or absent symptoms when blood sugars are low) have a heightened fear of hyperglycaemia. In addition, people with persistent hyperglycaemia may have a heightened fear of low blood glucose levels. Erratic and uncontrolled blood glucose levels are associated with several life threatening emergencies as well as long-term complications of diabetes.
Understanding specific anxieties and behaviours towards different blood glucose levels may allow us to work more effectively with people to manage problems with their diabetes and reduce chances of developing unwanted complications of the disease. We would like to assess whether individuals with impaired awareness of hypoglycaemia and recurrent severe hypoglycaemia display different cognitions and behaviours to individuals with intact hypoglycaemia awareness who do not have issues with problematic hypoglycaemia. We would also like to study the potential association between people who display a heightened fear of hypoglycaemia and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) – a measure of overall blood glucose control.
We wish to study this by using a series of validated questionnaires that measure people's worries and behaviours with regards to hyperglycaemia and hypoglycaemia. The ‘Attitudes to Awareness’ and the ‘Hyperglycaemia Avoidance Scale – Behaviour’ questionnaires will be used to analyse cognitions and behaviours towards hypoglycaemia awareness and hyperglycaemia. The Hypoglycaemia Fear Scale assesses both anxiety and behaviour with regards to hypoglycaemia – which will then be correlated with HbA1c.
Eligible participants will be adults attending diabetes clinics at King's College Hospital. We plan to enrol people into the study and collect questionnaire data within the timeframe of one attendance to the diabetes clinic.REC name
East of England - Cambridge Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/EE/0480
Date of REC Opinion
13 Jan 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion