Relationships Among Stress, Diabetes Distress, and Biomarkers in Children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus from Diverse Income and Racial Backgrounds.

Introduction: The purpose of this quantitative study was to consider factors that may negatively impact glycemic levels in Black and White children 8-12 years old with a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Method: Perceived stress, diabetes distress, morning and afternoon salivary cortisol, inflammatory biomarkers, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) were measured in this quantitative, cross-sectional phase of a larger, mixed methods study. Thirty-four children and their parents completed self-report surveys, and children provided blood and salivary samples, to examine effect sizes of relationships among variables of interest.

Results: Most children did not meet ADA recommendations for HbA1c. HbA1c was higher in Black children. Medium-to-large effects were noted between perceived stress and HbA1c. Cortisol and IL-8 may mediate the relationship between perceived stress and HbA1c in children.

Discussion: Understanding causes of elevated glycemic levels in children, especially from low-income and underrepresented populations, may help tailor diabetes management interventions to improve health outcomes.