Coping skills training, adapted from a model used to prevent drug abuse in adolescents, helps youths negotiate the constant demands of glucose monitoring, insulin injection and dietary vigilance, while also dealing with the pressures that define the teen years. Methods include problem-solving exercises and role playing. While type 1 diabetes cannot currently be prevented, type 2 diabetes, which is closely associated with obesity, can often be avoided through sensible weight management. Type 2 diabetes was once seen almost exclusively in adults. But with 25 percent of American teens suffering from obesity, type 2 is becoming increasingly common in younger populations.
Obesity is particularly common among inner-city teens.
Grey's new study will explore whether the same coping skills training can be used to support adolescents as they eat healthier and become more active, thereby managing their weight and avoiding the onset of diabetes. Prevention is crucial with this emerging at-risk group for type 2, said Grey. Oral agents are not approved for pediatric patients. Insulin actually makes the problem worse because, while it controls blood sugar, it also makes the kids gain more weight. Grey added that even postponing the onset of type 2 diabetes has significant benefits for adolescents.