Individual and Social Determinants of Health in Global Pediatric Diabetes Care Delivery - a Participatory Search for Barriers and Opportunities

Pediatric diabetes is a lifelong condition that affects an estimated 542,000 children under the age of 14 years worldwide, of whom the majority live in low- and middle-income countries. Epidemiological data from Haiti on the incidence and prevalence of diabetes in childhood are currently being collected. In Haiti, as in many other low-income countries, there is likely to be incomplete case ascertainment due to a lack of accurate and timely diagnosis. The investigators' group as well as others have observed remarkable differences in clinical presentation of childhood diabetes as compared to Caucasian patients. Presentations reminiscent of "atypical" diabetes, fibrocalculous pancreatitis, and malnutrition related diabetes seem to be more frequent. Many patients retain low exogenous insulin requirements past 5-10 years after initial diagnosis, suggesting much longer periods of residual endogenous insulin production as compared to Caucasian patients. Further, while complications of diabetes are considered a rarity in Caucasian patients, up to 20% of Haitian children and adolescents presenting with diabetes have eye complications (cataract and/or retinopathy) at the time of or within 2-3 years of diagnosis (unpublished data). Although genetic, environmental and immune factors have been hypothesized, the investigators do not currently understand the underlying etiology of these unusual phenotypes, and how those relate to glycemic control.

Limited data from sites in low-income countries where pediatric diabetes care has been established (including from Haiti) concerningly show that even when patients are regularly followed and insulin and diabetes care supplies are provided free of charge, glycemic control remains suboptimal. While psychosocial, sociocultural, educational and economic factors (including diet habits and food insecurity) are known to be associated with glycemic control, detailed evaluations from low-income countries on these factors and how they related to diabetes management in children are lacking. Similarly, there is little data from low-income countries on setting and culture specific perception of childhood diabetes and disease specific stressors including stigma, and how these may affect disease related quality of life, coping strategies, self-efficacy and glycemic control.

Child and parent health literacy, defined as "the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions" has been shown to impact diabetes self-efficacy, including improved diabetes management and glycemic control. However, little is known about health literacy in children with diabetes and their families in resource limited settings, and its effect on diabetes care has not been evaluated in Haiti. The degree to which these complex, interrelated and dynamic factors affect long-term outcomes is not known.

Lastly, community, family and peer support is known to impact health outcomes in children with chronic disease. However, in many resource limited settings local support groups are not available, or are only offered at the diabetes clinic, which can be remote from the patient's home (many patients travel several hours to get to the diabetes clinic). It is unknown if the use of social networks for patients with diabetes in resource limited settings can improve perceived and objective health related outcomes.

The specific aims of this research project are: