Association between life management skills and perceptions of diabetes technology use among children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes: a cross-sectional correlational study

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the association between life management skills and perceptions of diabetes technology use among children and adolescents with Type 1 diabetes. This cross-sectional correlational study was conducted between February and May 2026 with 112 children and adolescents aged 10–18 years with Type 1 diabetes who were recruited consecutively from two public hospitals in Kahramanmaras, Türkiye. Data were collected using a Sociodemographic and Clinical Information Form, the Life Management Skills Scale for Children with Type 1 Diabetes, and the Diabetes Technology Scale. Descriptive analyses, group comparisons with effect-size estimates, Pearson correlation analyses with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and multivariable linear regression were performed. The mean age of participants was 13.18 ± 2.47 years, and 52.7% were female. The mean total scores were 57.59 ± 8.97 for the Life Management Skills Scale and 94.20 ± 29.69 for the Diabetes Technology Scale. Perceptions of diabetes technology use were positively correlated with total life management skills ( r =.553, 95% CI [0.409, 0.670], p <.001). Diabetes Management Knowledge differed according to paternal education level (F(3,108) = 3.281, p =.024, η²=0.084) and diabetic ketoacidosis history (H(2) = 6.967, p =.031, ε²=0.046), whereas Diabetes Technology Scale scores differed according to living arrangement (H(2) = 7.213, p =.027, ε²=0.048) and diabetic ketoacidosis history (H(2) = 7.097, p =.029, ε²=0.047). In the multivariable complete-case analysis ( n  = 97), Diabetes Technology Scale scores remained independently associated with total life management skills after adjustment for age, diabetes duration, HbA1c, insulin treatment regimen, and glucose monitoring method (B = 0.146, SE = 0.026, β = 0.496, 95% CI [0.094, 0.198], p <.001; R²=0.363). More positive perceptions of diabetes technology use were associated with higher life management skills after adjustment for measured demographic and clinical covariates. Because of the cross-sectional design, the temporal direction of this association cannot be determined, and the findings should not be interpreted as evidence of causality or intervention effectiveness.