Exploring the experiences and views of young people with type 1 diabetes about diabetes management and care in Australian schools

Context: Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is prevalent amongst school-aged children, yet there is limited research about the perceptions of young people about the management and care that they received. This knowledge is important to informing the development of policies on diabetes management in Australian schools. Objective: To understand T1D management and care in schools from the perspective of affected young people and to understand some of the barriers to optimal diabetes management and care in schools. Design: Qualitative phenomenological approach. Focus groups and/or interviews will be conducted with young people with T1D aged between 18 and 25 years. Data will be collected through key questions regarding types of care and support in place for T1D, and general views of young people based on their experiences when they attended school. The focus groups and interviews will be audiotaped and transcribed, then analysed using a constant comparison and thematic analysis approach. Some themes will be elicited deductively, and others will be inductively elicited as data is interpreted. Setting: Melbourne, Australia. Participants: Young people aged 18 to 25 years with T1D. Findings: Recruitment and data collection are currently being undertaken. Preliminary results will be available for presentation at the AAAPC conference in July 2019. Implication(s) for practice: This research has the potential to identify barriers and facilitators in the existing school-based health and care frameworks with regards to T1D. Understanding young people’s needs will contribute information for policy-makers to improve current strategies to provide for the needs of school children with T1D.