Evaluation of a Health Education Method to Support Schoolchildren with Chronic Disease

―For Children with Type 1 Diabetes―

Abstract

　For establishing awareness-building activities, enhancing understanding, and drawing attention to environmental considerations to support children with chronic diseases, systematic support from schools, administrators, and medical institutions is necessary. Particularly, the following school-life related problems have been indicated for children with type 1 diabetes: lack of teachers' and friends' understanding of the illness, low blood sugar level prevention and care, food-related requirements, and securing a place at school for insulin injections.

　The purpose of this study was to evaluate a health education method to support understanding and support of children with chronic diseases, especially those with type 1 diabetes.

　Participants were 313 second-year students of two university-affiliated junior high schools. They answered a questionnaire before the instruction and read a pamphlet about type 1 diabetes. Then a lesson was given to two classes (155 students; intervention group) but not to two other classes (158 students; control group). Then the questionnaire was administered again. Lessons were designed to increase understanding and support of children with chronic diseases, especially type 1 diabetes.

　The questionnaire contents were ‛understanding an ailing friend', ‛supporting an ailing friend' (VAS), and ‛cognitive and sympathy questions'. Respondents recorded answers detailing how to help a friend with low blood sugar levels after they read a type 1 diabetes explanation. Intervention classes were assessed before and after the lesson, and again one month after the lesson. Control classes were assessed before and after the lesson.

　A significant main effect was found in boys and girls for scores obtained before and after the lesson. However, no significant main effect was found between boys of the intervention and control groups for ‛understanding an ailing friend', ‛supporting an ailing friend', or ‛cognitive and sympathy questions'. No significant interaction was found in boys. However, significant interactions were detected for ‛cognitive and sympathy questions' in girls.

　‛Supporting an ailing friend' scores obtained after the lesson and 1 month later were higher than before, and ‛cognitive and sympathy questions' scores obtained after the lesson were higher than before in boys. ‛Cognitive and sympathy questions' immediately after the lesson and 1 month later were higher than those before in boys. These results show that the lesson's efficacy persisted to some degree.

　The subjects wrote contents of support for an ailing friend.

　These results suggest that this health education method is useful for understanding and supporting children with chronic diseases.