Biomedical subjects

Kathryn Graff Low

Publications and source records attributed to Kathryn Graff Low.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Insulin pump use in young adolescents with type 1 diabetes: a descriptive study.

There is little research on psychosocial factors and insulin pump use in adolescents. The purpose of the present study was to use qualitative and quantitative methods to explore psychosocial issues related to insulin pump use [continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII)] in youth. Eighteen early adolescents and their parents were interviewed about the experience of using an insulin pump, and transcripts were content-analyzed. In general, interviewees reported modest improvements in glycemic control with initiation of CSII. Teens and parents did, however, report high levels of satisfaction with pump therapy and increased adolescent responsibility for the diabetes regimen. In addition, pump users reported few issues related to body image, appearance, or social aspects of pump dependency. Chief concerns were related to the demands of initiating pump therapy, pump alarms and malfunctions, potential for regimen non-compliance with CSII, and school-related issues. Pump use is not associated with social difficulties, and, in general, youths and their parents report high satisfaction with CSII.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Effectiveness of a computer-based interactive eating disorders prevention program at long-term follow-up.

Computer-based delivery of health-related psychoeducational programming is increasingly popular. In the present study, 72 non-symptomatic undergraduate women were randomized to an Internet-based prevention program for eating disorders with or without accompanying discussion groups, or a control group. Sixty-one of the women (84%) completed the Student Bodies program, and were assessed at short and eight-nine month follow-up. Participation in the program resulted in better outcomes across all groups compared to controls, and women in the unmoderated discussion group appeared to have the most reduction in risk. Benefits of the program continued at follow-up. Decrease in risk also was associated with time spent using the Internet-based program. The present study suggests that the use of Student Bodies may reduce risk of eating and body image concerns over the long term, and that moderation of discussion groups may not be essential for successful outcomes. Further research on larger samples will help determine the degree to which discussion groups or the Student Bodies program alone are effective.

Adult↗