Problem--The development of diabetes produces a state of shock for the child and his or her family. The single most important factor in coping with both the physical and emotional impact of diabetes is education. Only when there is a clear understanding on the part of the child and the family of what diabetes is, how it can be managed, how to prevent emergencies, and how to cope with complications should they arise, will these feelings begin to be resolved.There are very limited educational materials available to help the pre-school to elementary age children with diabetes understand their disease.Main Procedure--A support group for families who have children with diabetes was developed. The objectives were formulated in relationship to the needs of the support group. The following materials were created to help the children understand about their disease:1. A flannelboard explanation of diabetes was used to help the children understand diabetes.2. A green puppet to sing and talk to the children about the problems of being different and how to say no without calling attention to oneself was created.3. A homemade robot was made that could turn a negative message into a positive one. A discussion of what's good about today and the importance of having a positive attitude followed.4. A game called Diabetes Challenge was created. The game called for the recognition of foods and their exchange areas and also asked challenging questions about diabetes.5. Containers from three fast-food restaurants were used with food exchanges marked on them so children could select wisest choices for their meal plan.6. Marionettes and stick puppets were created to perform the puppet show "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" and then the sequel "The Girl 'Who Cried Reaction". The sequel was written by the researcher in an attempt to illustrate the importance of being believed.7. A school booklet was developed for families to inform their schools about diabetes.8. A video tape was created to be used by parents to inform their school about diabetes.Understanding diabetes and learning to care for it well is an ongoing task. Diabetes in a child is a way of life. It involves the whole family and all those outside the family that are caring for the child.It is the writer's hope that this project will be utilized as a resource for presenting important information to children who have diabetes. These materials are available upon request by contacting Julie Alexander, R.R. 1 Box 29, Eaton, IN 47338, Phone:(317) 396-9222. / Department of Elementary Education

Diabetes is a chronic disease which affects approximately 5% of all Canadians and contributes to considerable health care costs. At present diabetes can be controlled but not cured. Increased recognition that the provision of diabetes education is essential in diabetes management has led to the development of education programs in many Canadian hospitals. However, participation surveys done in the United States indicate that only 12 to 35% of individuals with diabetes receive education through formal programs. This study seeks to identify factors deterring participation of elderly Sikh Indo-Canadians with NIDDM in education programs. In depth interviews were conducted with the research participants. The Adapted Chain of Response Model was used as the framework to develop questions for the interview guide and to collect, organize and analyze the data. Deterrents identified in previous studies and supported by this study include: older age, low self-confidence, questioning the worth of the program, being on oral medications versus insulin, having one's own ways of self-care, having a family doctor for treating diabetes, financial concerns, time constraints and transportation problems, and an underestimation of the seriousness of NIDDM by doctors. Deterrents unique to the study include: viewing self as healthy, desiring anonymity, reliance on religion, not valuing non-doctors, lacking familial support, perceiving health professionals as lacking cultural sensitivity, lacking awareness of program purpose and existence, and not being referred at time of diagnosis. Family doctors not valuing diabetes education and/or services of health professionals and not encouraging individuals to attend were also identified as deterrents. This study makes recommendations for practice and research which may be useful to diabetes educators, health care organizations and researchers in assisting them to fully understand and address challenges involved in making diabetes education a reality for a greater number of individuals with diabetes.

Diabetes is a chronic disease which affects approximately 5% of all Canadians and contributes to considerable health care costs. At present diabetes can be controlled but not cured. Increased recognition that the provision of diabetes education is essential in diabetes management has led to the development of education programs in many Canadian hospitals. However, participation surveys done in the United States indicate that only 12 to 35% of individuals with diabetes receive education through formal programs. This study seeks to identify factors deterring participation of elderly Sikh Indo-Canadians with NIDDM in education programs. In depth interviews were conducted with the research participants. The Adapted Chain of Response Model was used as the framework to develop questions for the interview guide and to collect, organize and analyze the data. Deterrents identified in previous studies and supported by this study include: older age, low self-confidence, questioning the worth of the program, being on oral medications versus insulin, having one's own ways of self-care, having a family doctor for treating diabetes, financial concerns, time constraints and transportation problems, and an underestimation of the seriousness of NIDDM by doctors. Deterrents unique to the study include: viewing self as healthy, desiring anonymity, reliance on religion, not valuing non-doctors, lacking familial support, perceiving health professionals as lacking cultural sensitivity, lacking awareness of program purpose and existence, and not being referred at time of diagnosis. Family doctors not valuing diabetes education and/or services of health professionals and not encouraging individuals to attend were also identified as deterrents. This study makes recommendations for practice and research which may be useful to diabetes educators, health care organizations and researchers in assisting them to fully understand and address challenges involved in making diabetes education a reality for a greater number of individuals with diabetes. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate

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