A LONGITUDINAL-STUDY OF BIOMEDICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL PREDICTORS OF MULTIPLE HOSPITALIZATIONS AMONG YOUNG-PEOPLE WITH INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES-MELLITUS

The aim of the present study was to estimate the cumulative probabilit y of multiple diabetes-related hospitalizations and identify associate d risk factors in a sample of 92 school-age children, newly diagnosed with insulin-dependent (Type 1) diabetes mellitus, who were followed l ongitudinally for up to 14 years (mean: 9 years). 'Multiple hospitaliz ations' as a variable was defined as three or more admissions. Altoget her 26 young patients (28 %) had multiple admissions (with a total of 158 hospitalizations), yielding an estimated cumulative probability fo r this outcome of 0.33 by 10 years after onset of diabetes. Multivaria te longitudinal analyses revealed that at any given point in time, fou r variables significantly increased the risk of multiple admissions: h igher levels of glycosylated haemoglobin reflecting poorer metabolic c ontrol, higher levels of externalizing symptoms reflecting greater beh aviour problems, younger age at diagnosis, and lower socio-economic st atus. According to the results of post hoc analyses, however, the afor ementioned risk factors do not appear to be specific to multiple hospi talizations, and can serve to identify groups that are generally vulne rable to readmissions.