P-399: Care, cost, and coping in childhood type 1 diabetes: voices from Lagos families
I Akinola, R Rieninwa, A Owolabi, I Akinola, K AdeniranAbstract
Introduction
Caregivers play a central role in childhood Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1D) care, yet financial and psychosocial burdens may limit effective management.
Objectives
To describe the sociodemographic characteristics, clinical presentation, diabetes-care practices, and lived experiences of caregivers of children with T1D in Lagos, Nigeria.
Methods
A convergent mixed-methods cross-sectional design was used to quantify caregiver and clinical characteristics and explore how families experienced childhood T1D. Quantitative data collected with structured questionnaires from 15 caregivers were analysed descriptively. Qualitative interviews with 15 caregivers and children were analysed thematically, and findings from both strands were integrated.
Results
Most caregivers were married mothers with tertiary education. Mean caregiver age was 38.07 ± 11.61 years, and the mean monthly household income was ₦132,133 ± 142,158 ($88.09 ± 94.77 at ₦1,500 per $1). The commonest presenting symptoms of T1D were weight loss, polyuria, and polydipsia. Quantitative findings showed moderate adherence to diabetes-care practices, including blood glucose monitoring two to three times daily and regular clinic attendance. Qualitative findings explained that these practices were difficult to sustain due to the high costs of insulin, glucose-monitoring supplies, and clinic-related expenses. Families described borrowing money and reusing needles as coping strategies, indicating that adherence was constrained by financial insecurity. Caregivers and children reported psychological distress, including anxiety, depressive symptoms, and stigma. Faith, resilience, and available social support helped families cope with the demands of long-term diabetes care.
Conclusions
Caregivers of children with T1D in Lagos experience diabetes care-related burdens that affect management and quality of life. Financial and psychosocial barriers explain why reported care practices may remain difficult to sustain.