Parents HRQOL, Their Satisfaction with Care, and Children Over the Age of Eight’s Experiences of Family Support Two Years Subsequent to the Child’s Diagnosis with Type 1 Diabetes

ABSTRACTParents react differently after their child is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, both at onset and longitudinally. The aim of this study was to describe and compare the disease impact on parents, in terms of health-related quality of life (HRQOL), parents’ satisfaction with the care received, and the child´s experience of diabetes-specific family support 2 years after the child’s diagnosis. A further aim was to compare mothers’ and fathers’ HRQOL and satisfaction with care over time from the child’s diagnosis to follow-up 2 years later. A total of 43 children and 114 parents participated. Parents independently filled in the PedsQLTM Family Impact Module and the PedsQLTM Health Care Satisfaction Generic Module and children over the age of 8 filled in the Diabetes Family Behavior Scale®. The results showed that mothers reported a lower level of emotional functioning than fathers (p = 0.011) and a higher degree of worry 2 years after the child’s diagnosis (p = 0.035). Parents reported an overall high s...