Role of Health Educators in Assisting Youth and Adolescents with Diabetes

Abstract

Management of diabetes in children requires balancing nutrition, physical activity and medication on a daily basis in order to achieve blood glucose targets. The health educator can assist children and their families in meeting their diabetes management goals by better understanding the current recommendations and tasks involved to achieve them. Whereas children with type 1 diabetes require multiple injections of insulin per day or use of an insulin pump, children with type 2 diabetes may require an oral medication, insulin or both. Nutrition and physical activity recommendations are similar for children with diabetes as they are for all healthy children. Meal planning for children with diabetes usually involves a method of carbohydrate counting, since this is the main nutrient that raises blood glucose. Short term management outcomes for children with diabetes include the prevention of hypo- and hyperglycemia, while long term outcomes include the prevention of micro and macro-vascular complications.