# Self-Management among Preteen and Adolescent Insulin Pump Users (SPIN)

> **NIH NIH F31** · OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $15,741

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
For the 1.5 million individuals in the United States living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) the importance of
maintaining near normal glycemic control, typically measured by glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C), to prevent
microvascular and macrovascular complications is well established. Despite this, most individuals do not meet
their glycemic targets with preteens and adolescents faring far worse than their older and younger
counterparts. Insulin pump therapy can improve glycemic control and quality of life, however, unlike younger
and older age groups, adolescents show no significant improvement in A1C with insulin pump therapy. Insulin
pump therapy is a more physiologic form of insulin delivery than multiple daily injections yet these complex
machines rely heavily on individual proficiency, surveillance and self-management behaviors to achieve clinical
benefit. Suboptimal pump management and unsafe pump behaviors can lead to a decline in glycemic control
and adverse events. Research examining insulin pump self-management is limited. The insulin pump
download is a valuable objective measure of insulin pump adherence and utilization, yet it remains
underutilized in diabetes research. Many insulin pumps have incorporated cloud based platforms allowing
patient insulin pump data to be directly transferred and stored indefinitely providing a fertile source of diabetes
self-management “big data.” Identification of key factors effecting insulin pump self-management and, hence,
glycemic control is essential for the development of innovative approaches to improve insulin pump self-
management. In this proposed mixed method study, we will (1) analyze current insulin pump management
behaviors (e.g., frequency of blood glucose testing, insulin bolus frequency, use of bolus calculator, use of
advanced features) among 80 preteens and adolescents with T1D by downloading participant's personal
insulin pump; (2) correlate insulin pump download data with measures of glycemic control (e.g., A1C; time in
target 70-180mg/dl); and (3) describe the experience of insulin pump self-management, including facilitators
and barriers of insulin pump adherence and use, among a subset of preteens/adolescents with good (n=10)
and poor (n=10) glycemic control. Bivariate tests, Multiple Linear Regressions and Poisson regression will be
used in our analysis of derived insulin pump self-management variables and glycemic control, adjusting for
covariates. Further analyses using big data approaches including data visualization will be explored during this
research assistantship. The goals of the pre-doctoral research training plan are: 1) Build expertise of
adolescent development and behavior; 2) Develop skills in designing and implementing research focused on
pre-teen and adolescent chronic disease self-management; 3) Develop skills in `big data' analysis and 4)
Develop skills in grantsmanship and research dissemination. This research training proposal is congruent with
NINR'...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9837492
- **Project number:** 5F31NR017542-03
- **Recipient organization:** OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Eileen R. Faulds
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $15,741
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-01-01 → 2020-05-01

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9837492

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9837492, Self-Management among Preteen and Adolescent Insulin Pump Users (SPIN) (5F31NR017542-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9837492. Licensed CC0.

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