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Biomedical subjects

Dorothy Becker

Publications and source records attributed to Dorothy Becker.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

The role of friendship in the lives of male and female adolescents: does diabetes make a difference?

PURPOSE: We examined differences in the nature of friendship between adolescents with diabetes and healthy adolescents. We also examined whether friend support and negative relations with friends were related to health for both groups. METHOD: We interviewed 127 adolescents with diabetes and 129 healthy adolescents on two occasions, separated by one year. We measured aspects of friendship and psychological health among both groups as well as self-care behavior and metabolic control among adolescents with diabetes. We used logistic regression analysis to predict the presence of friends, repeated measures analysis of covariance to predict changes in friendship over time, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis to examine the relations of friendship to psychological health, self-care behavior, and metabolic control. RESULTS: Both groups of adolescents were equally likely to have a best friend and boyfriend/girlfriend, but healthy adolescents were more likely to have an other-gender friend. Adolescents with diabetes and healthy adolescents reported similar levels of friend support, but support increased over the year for healthy girls only. Boys with diabetes had the lowest levels of friend support. Negative relations with friends were inversely related to psychological health and predicted a decline in psychological health over time. Negative relations also predicted poor metabolic control and a deterioration of metabolic control over time. CONCLUSION: There are similarities and differences in the nature of friendship for adolescents with diabetes compared with healthy adolescents. Friendship serves a protective function for psychological health for both groups and has implications for physical health among those with diabetes.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2006

Knowledge, attitudes and behaviors related to sexuality and family planning in adolescent women with and without diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Sexually active adolescents with diabetes are at high risk for unplanned pregnancies and reproductive complications. OBJECTIVE: Knowledge, attitudes, intentions, and behaviors regarding diabetes and reproductive issues, sexuality, and contraception were examined in teens with diabetes in relation to a non-diabetic group. METHODS: A multisite, case-control, theory-based structured telephone interview was conducted on adolescent women: 80 with diabetes mellitus (DM) and 37 matched controls without diabetes (non-DM). RESULTS: Teens with diabetes appeared to lack an understanding of critical information that could prevent unplanned pregnancies and pregnancy-related complications. Although they scored significantly higher than the non-DM group on diabetes-related information, the DM group had their lowest mean average of 59% for the diabetes and pregnancy score. They did not appear to have greater protective attitudes regarding reproductive health issues than the non-DM group. The DM group felt that they were only moderately susceptible to becoming pregnant and that severe complications would not happen to them. The DM group perceived greater severity to sex-related outcomes (p = 0.001). The DM group did not report safer and more effective family planning behaviors (mean age coitus = 15.7 yr), which for them could be more detrimental. Similar trends were noted between groups regarding contraceptive methods; only a single method (e.g., pill only) rather than a dual method (e.g., pill and condom) was most frequently used. CONCLUSION: Having diabetes did not appear to significantly decrease the risk-taking behavior of the teens. Early and some unsafe sexual practices may increase their risk for an unplanned pregnancy that could result in pregnancy-related complications. Enhancing awareness, knowledge, and attitudes through preconception counseling and reproductive health education may reduce these risks by empowering young women to plan healthy future pregnancies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Diet of adolescents with and without diabetes: Trading candy for potato chips?

OBJECTIVE: To compare the dietary intake of adolescents with type 1 diabetes with that of adolescents without diabetes matched on age, sex, and year in school and to compare the diets of both groups with recommendations. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Participants were 132 adolescents with type 1 diabetes, recruited from Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, and 131 adolescents without diabetes ranging in age from 10.70 to 14.21 years. Dietary intake was assessed with three 24-h recall interviews with each participant and one parent. Percentage of calories from protein, carbohydrates, and total fat; amount of each type of fat; and amount of cholesterol, fiber, and sugar were calculated as averages across 3 days. RESULTS: Adolescents with diabetes took in less total energy than recommended. The percentage of calories from carbohydrates and protein were within recommendations for adolescents with and without diabetes, but adolescents with diabetes exceeded the recommended fat intake. The diet of adolescents with diabetes consisted of a greater percentage of fat and protein and a smaller percentage of carbohydrates relative to adolescents without diabetes. Adolescents without diabetes consumed more sugar, while adolescents with diabetes took in more of all components of fat than adolescents without diabetes. Male subjects with diabetes had an especially high intake of saturated fat. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents with type 1 diabetes consume fewer calories from carbohydrates but more calories from fat than adolescents without diabetes and exceed the recommended levels of fat intake. These findings are of concern given the risk that type 1 diabetes poses for cardiovascular disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Hypoglycemia: a complication of diabetes therapy in children.

The experience of hypoglycemia is probably the most feared and hated consequence of life with type 1 diabetes among pediatric patients and their parents. Although transient detrimental effects are clearly disturbing and may have severe results, there is surprisingly little evidence of long-term CNS damage, even after multiple hypoglycemic episodes, except in rare instances. Despite the latter evidence, we advocate that every treatment regimen be designed to prevent hypoglycemia without inducing unacceptable hyperglycemia and increasing the risk of micro- and macrovascular complications.

Blood Glucose↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Condom use, pregnancy, and STDs in adolescent females with and without type 1 diabetes.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this secondary analysis was to describe and compare adolescent females with and without diabetes in terms of use of condoms, pregnancy outcomes, and sexually transmitted disease (STD) outcomes. METHODS: Data from a multisite, case-controlled, telephone survey study were used in a secondary analysis to evaluate the parameters stated in the purpose. RESULTS: The 87 females with type 1 diabetes and 45 nondiabetic females who participated were 16 to 22 years old. Most were Caucasian, in high school, and lived with their parents. No demographic differences were noted between the groups. Of those sexually active, for both groups, the most common contraceptive method was male condoms. Four females with diabetes and 2 without diabetes reported an unplanned pregnancy. Three females with diabetes reported an STD infection (chlamydia or trichomonas). Five females with diabetes and 4 nondiabetic females had abnormal pap tests. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescent females with and without diabetes engaged in less than optimally protected sexual activity, which increased their risk for unplanned pregnancies and STD infections. Further research is needed of the incidence, treatment, and short-term and long-term complications of STDs in adolescent females with diabetes.

Adolescent↗