Influence of stressful life events on the onset of Type 1 diabetes in childhood.

The study focuses on the effects of different psychosocial stress on the onset of Type 1 diabetes in Zimbabwe. Type 1 diabetic children were compared with healthy control group. A set of relevant anthropometric indices was used to asses their physical development and fitness. Diabetic children were admitted to hospital with diabetic ketoacidoses, high blood glucose levels and severe dehydration. It was difficult to achieve stable long-term metabolic control because of acute infections , diatery lapses, frequent hypoglycemic attacks due to poverty and malnutrition, lack of intensive insulin therapy and glucose monitoring. It was found that diabetic children had higher heart rates (97.7 bts/min) and showed lower results when submitted to apnoeic test (20.6 sec) and tipping test (233.2 points). Stressful events that occurred within the family during the year prior to the clinical, onset of Type 1 diabetes were recorded on an inventory consisting of 45 questions. The total frequency of stressful life events were higher for diabetic children (95.4) than in the control group.(4.2). The relative frequencies of events that included actual or threatened loss within the family were significantly higher for the diabetic children (32-53%). In conclusion, severe emotional stress induced by life events such as the birth of another sibling, the influence of a step-parent, serious illness of the mother, marital separation or divorce of parents and the change in parent's financial status are associated with the onset of childhood diabetes and may be considered as risk factors.