第一型糖尿病青少年同儕支持之性別差異

Gender Differences in Peer Supports among Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes

本文旨在探討台灣糖尿病青少年自我照顧時同儕支持的性別差異。採橫斷式研究設計，以某醫學中心小兒內分泌門診129位11-18歲的第一型糖尿病青少年為研究對象，運用糖尿病同儕支持量表評估其同儕支持。研究發現青少女在胰島素注射、血糖測試、高低血糖的處置、飲食與情緒支持的同儕支持得分皆高於青少男，而青少男僅在運動的得分較高。胰島素注射、血糖測試與情緒支持有顯著性別差異，高低血糖的處置、飲食及運動則無性別顯著差異。研究結果有助於健康照顧者與學校護理人員了解糖尿病青少年因性別差異，而感受在糖尿病自我照顧行為中的同儕支持影響不同，近一步協助青少年發展更完善的同儕支持關係，以強化自我照顧行為達到維持良好血糖的目的。

This study investigated gender differences in peer support for self-care among Taiwanese adolescents with type 1 diabetes. A cross-sectional design was adopted and 129 adolescents (age, 11-18 years) with type 1 diabetes were recruited from the Department of Pediatric Endocrinology at a medical center in Taiwan. The participants were asked to complete a scale exploring the peer support they perceived. The findings are as follows. Compared with the boys, the girls had higher scores in insulin administration, blood glucose testing, handling hyper- and hypoglycemia, diet and emotional support. The boys reported higher scores only in exercise. Significant gender differences in peer support were observed only in insulin administration, blood glucose testing, and emotional support; no significant gender differences were observed in handling hyper- and hypoglycemia, diet or exercising. These findings can assist caregivers and school nurses in aiding adolescents with type 1 diabetes to develop and improve the peer support they receive for self-care according to the gender-related differences observed in this study to enhance self-care and manage their b1ood glucose level favorably.