Children’s Understanding of Risk for Type 1 Diabetes: The TEDDY Study

This study, part of the ongoing TEDDY (The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young) study, assessed children’s understanding of their own risk for type 1 diabetes from 10 to 15 years of age and sought to identify factors associated with children’s risk perception. Analysis of responses from nearly 5,000 children revealed that risk for type 1 diabetes is a difficult concept for children to grasp even in the context of extensive educational efforts. Several factors associated with children’s understanding of type 1 diabetes risk were identified that may guide future efforts to help children understand disease risk.