Physical Activity Monitoring Paediatric Type 1 Diabetes

Sheffield Hallam University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1

Treatments: Behavioral: physical activity monitor and feedback

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03144869

CA16015

Details and patient eligibility

About

Physical activity (PA) can have positive health outcomes for children with type 1 diabetes (T1DM), yet being physically active can have unwanted side effects due to fluctuations in blood glucose (BG) level. Children and parents need support to help understand the relationship between PA and BG level, and how to use PA as a vehicle to better manage the condition. Using PA monitoring could help HCPs raise awareness about PA, discuss PA and facilitate diabetes management. This research will explore the feasibility and acceptability of PA monitoring as a clinical tool to help the management of paediatric T1DM.

Full description

Physical activity (PA) can have positive health outcomes for children with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) such as improved diabetes control, lipid profile and body composition, yet activity levels are low. The unpredictable nature of children's everyday activity causes fluctuations in blood glucose (BG) level. Low and high BG level are side-effects of PA, have significant symptoms and can cause a range of chronic complications. Parents typically have responsibility for diabetes management in preadolescent children and perceive PA as a challenge due to constant concerns about BG levels (Quirk et al., 2015).

Children and parents need support to help understand the relationship between PA and BG control and how to use PA as a vehicle through which to better manage the condition. T1DM healthcare professionals (HCPs) perceive a lack of i) competence, ii) confidence and iii) time to provide PA advice and education in the clinical setting. HCPs perceive a need for evidence-based resources to facilitate PA discussion, education and promotion (Quirk et al., 2015). Physical activity monitoring is already a widely recognised and accepted tool, with potential utility in paediatric diabetes.

One such approach could be that HCPs graphically convey children's PA levels and use this to raise awareness and promote discussion about daily PA level. In those using constant glucose monitoring devices, daily BG values could be graphically documented to help explain the relationship between PA and BG level. These devices have shown acceptability among children with T1DM. However, whether they can facilitate PA discussion and education is unknown.

This research will explore parents, children and HCPs' perceptions of PA monitoring in clinical practice. A PA monitoring programme will be developed, implemented in a small cohort of children with T1DM and evaluated for feasibility and acceptability. In the future, 'physical activity clinical champions' could be trained to use activity monitoring for PA education and promotion in clinic settings.

Enrollment: 13 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 7 to 11 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Arm 1 Children with type 1 diabetes Aged 7-11 years (age range may be increased to 6-12 years if recruitment is problematic) Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes for at least 12 months Consenting primary caregiver Willingness of child and parent for the child to wear activity monitor
• Arm 2 Children with type 1 diabetes using a personal CGM OR CGM on loan from clinic as part of clinical care Aged 7-11 years (age range may be increased to 6-12 years if recruitment is problematic) Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes for at least 12 months Consenting primary caregiver Willingness of child and parent for the child to wear an activity monitor

Exclusion criteria

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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13 participants in 2 patient groups

physical activity monitor only

Experimental group

Description:

Children will wear a Runscribe accelerometer for two weeks. Runscribe is a small inertial sensor (weight 15g, size 35x25x7.5 mm). It can be attached to the body in several positions (wrist, waist, sacrum, chest, thigh, foot) and is used for monitoring movement. Runscribe does not beep, flash or have a visual display. It will not provide PA feedback to the individuals in real-time, only via a researcher after the data has been downloaded. In this study, we are not wishing to influence children's behaviour by providing PA feedback in real-time. We are trying to establish whether PA monitoring is feasible and acceptable - and further research could go on to explore the use of real-time PA feedback as an educational technique. Phase 1 findings will help to determine: i) method of monitor distribution to participants (post, clinic or in-person), ii) preferred wear position.

Treatment:

Behavioral: physical activity monitor and feedback

physical activity monitor plus constant glucose monitor

Experimental group

Description:

Children using a personal constant glucose monitor (CGM) or CGM on loan from clinic as part of clinical care will be approached for Arm 2. These children will wear Runscribe at the same time as a CGM. Runscribe and CGM worn over the same 2 week period.

Treatment:

Behavioral: physical activity monitor and feedback