Examining the Cognitive, Practical, and Emotional Demands of Managing Physical Activity in Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes: A qualitative study with adolescents, parents, and healthcare professionals.
Staying active with type 1 diabetes in adolescence involves substantial “behind-the-scenes” mental, emotional, and practical work—often with families compensating for generic or inconsistent support.
What we did
We carried out semi-structured interviews with adolescents with type 1 diabetes (n=11), parents/carers (n=15), and healthcare professionals (n=11), then analysed the data using thematic analysis.
What we found (key themes)
High mental and emotional load: Young people and parents described significant mental effort, anxiety (including around hypoglycaemia), a desire for normality, and the unpredictability of glucose responses around activity.
Practical/organisational challenges: Participants highlighted challenges related to supportive environments, technology, and the logistics that vary by activity type (e.g., planning, access, and day-to-day organisation).
Self-devised strategies fill gaps: Families often relied on trial-and-error learning, parental involvement, peer learning, and variable clinical input because available support was frequently generic rather than activity-specific.
Why it matters
The findings point to a need for youth-friendly, activity-specific guidance, plus training/resources not only for healthcare professionals but also for teachers and coaches who influence adolescents’ activity contexts.
They also support prioritising co-designed resources/interventions with young people and families and integrating more structured peer support.