Adolescents' views of treatments for type 2 diabetes

12 adolescents were interviewed in total.  Interviews were held by telephone and lasted about 30 minutes each.  Analysis of the data suggested that interviewees had struggled to maintain lifestyle changes.  Insulin, Metformin and incretin mimetics were described as effective in controlling blood sugar levels, but some individuals had stopped treatment having experienced side effects.  Injected treatments were viewed less favourably than oral medications, and it was evident that adolescents were concerned about taking a treatment which would make them stand out from their peers.  Weight loss surgery was considered an acceptable treatment for adolescents who were obese and had tried other treatments for T2DM.  It was apparent that some adolescents had not been surprised by their diagnosis and did not fully appreciate the implications of having diabetes, and that some individuals had not told peers about their diagnosis due to worrying about how others would react.  Factors identified as improving treatment adherence included reminders, viewing treatment as effective and easy to take, and being older and therefore having more control over their situation.

We concluded that adolescents want treatments which are effective, discrete, easy to take, and which do not make them different from their peers.  Incretin mimetics were described as effective, and surgery viewed as acceptable.  Thus, greater consideration should be given to their potential role in treating adolescent T2DM.  Practitioners need to ensure adolescents appreciate the implications of having T2DM and may want to address adolescents’ concerns regarding how others view their T2DM.