Good Example Of Essay On Childhood Diabetes

With the rate of childhood obesity and associated diseases growing every year, the importance of learning about a healthy lifestyle at an early age becomes more and more important to children, families, communities at large, and the health care system. Lynn Marotz, RN, PhD wrote that “Children’s nutritional status has a significant effect on their behavior and cognitive development” (2015, p. 11). One of the most impactful diseases on childhood health is diabetes. Knowledge of childhood diabetes can assist in maintaining or improving a child’s heath. Furthermore, it can move a child toward developing a healthy lifestyle at an early age – a benefit with long-lasting effects.
Depending upon the age of a child who has been diagnosed with childhood diabetes, there are several things that he or she needs to know. For example, children need to know what the disease is, what needs to be done to control the disease, and what having the disease means as far as their daily living and activities. Explaining diabetes to a child can be complicated, but successful education of both the parents and of the diabetic child has lifetime benefits for all involved.
One of the benefits of early knowledge about childhood diabetes is the capacity for young children to acclimate to difficult situations. Presenting information about the disease to the child in a manner which takes into consideration the age of the child, the emotional maturity of the child, and the developmental stage of the child allows the child to accept the activities necessary for sound diabetes management into his or her lifestyle easily. Just as child learns multiplication or addition or reading and sees how each are useful in counting money or reading road signs or other real-life situations, a child can learn about insulin, carbohydrates, weight management, symptoms of out-of-range blood sugar, self-administered injections and many other important concepts of their disease.
Another benefit of early knowledge about childhood diabetes is understanding how this knowledge can move a child toward developing life-long and effective coping strategies for this disease. Learning the value of exercise, for example, can help a child manage the disease as well as carry a healthy habit on into adulthood. Abadie and Brown (2010) reported that “the incorporation of physical activity into an early childhood education program would have many beneficial effects. A physical activity program would help with the growing problem of childhood obesity and all the diseases associated with this condition” (p. 5). This is just one simple example of how early education about childhood diabetes is beneficial for the long term management of the disease.
Confident, consistent care and correct information from both the parents and the healthcare support system of a child with diabetes is crucial in ensuring that these diabetic children grow into healthy and informed adults with a solid understanding of their disease, the disease processes, and the management of it all. Learning this information early accords independence for the child, strong self-confidence, and the ability to consistently and accurately self-monitor both health in general and the disease specifically. According to the Joslin Diabetes Center (2015, n.p.), “children quickly learn that maintaining good health is the ticket to joining their friends in every day [sic] activities.” The knowledge parlayed to children with childhood diabetes can assist in maintaining or improving a child’s heath as they grow, and can also determine if they thrive or not. Also, teaching a child about his or her diabetes can motivate a child toward developing a healthy lifestyle at an early age, a benefit not only to the child, but to the parents, family, and the community at large.

References

Abadie, B. R., & Brown, S. P. (2010). Physical activity promotes academic achievement and a healthy lifestyle when incorporated into early childhood education. ForumoOn Public Policy Online, 2010(5), p. 1-8.
Marotz, L.R. (2015) Health, safety, and nutrition for the young child. Stamford, CT: Cengage.
Stay healthy with diabetes: If your child has type 1 diabetes what he or she needs to know. (2015). Joslin Diabetes Center. Retrieved from http://www.joslin.org/info/if_your_
child_has_type_1_diabetes_what_he_or_she_needs_to_know.html