Short-Term Effects of COVID-19 Lockdown in Italian Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: The Role of Separation Anxiety

Daniela Di Riso, Simone Bertini, Silvia Spaggiari, Francesca Olivieri, Silvana Zaffani, Lara Comerlati, Marco Marigliano, Claudia Piona and Claudio Maffeis
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Daniela Di Riso: Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
Simone Bertini: Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
Silvia Spaggiari: Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
Francesca Olivieri: Pediatric Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders, Department of Surgical Sciences, Dentistry, Paediatrics and Gynaecology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
Silvana Zaffani: Pediatric Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders, Department of Surgical Sciences, Dentistry, Paediatrics and Gynaecology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
Lara Comerlati: Pediatric Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders, Department of Surgical Sciences, Dentistry, Paediatrics and Gynaecology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
Marco Marigliano: Pediatric Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders, Department of Surgical Sciences, Dentistry, Paediatrics and Gynaecology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
Claudia Piona: Pediatric Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders, Department of Surgical Sciences, Dentistry, Paediatrics and Gynaecology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
Claudio Maffeis: Pediatric Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders, Department of Surgical Sciences, Dentistry, Paediatrics and Gynaecology, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 11, 1-12

Abstract: In March 2020, the Italian Government imposed mandatory home confinement to limit the spread of COVID-19. Few studies assessed the psychophysical impact of COVID-19 on chronically ill children. This study examined these effects on children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1D) and their caregivers. Seventy-one patients (7–13 years) with T1D and their caregivers were administered a survey created ad hoc and some standardized questionnaires, assessing psychological well-being and anxiety. Medical data (physical and biochemical characteristics) were recorded before (T 0 , January–February) and after (T 1 , May–June) the lockdown. Paired Student t -test, Spearman two-tailed correlations, and a linear regression model were used for statistical analysis. Children at T 1 showed higher BMI (body mass index), daily total and basal insulin dose, and time spent in therapeutic range, and they showed lower HbA1c (glycated hemoglobin), time spent above the therapeutic range, and standard deviations of the mean glucose values than at T 0 . A total of 32.9% scored in the clinical range for separation anxiety. The increase in separation anxiety was predicted by younger age, female gender, more recent T1D diagnosis, less time spent in therapeutic range at T 1 , and higher perceived fear of COVID-19 infection. In a pandemic context, separation anxiety may be stronger in younger females, with more recent T1D diagnosis and poor metabolic control, thus affecting the parent’s ability to manage diabetes and to support children’s autonomy.

Keywords: COVID-19; type 1 diabetes mellitus; children; adolescents; separation anxiety (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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