Disaster preparedness in pediatric type 1 diabetes mellitus

OBJECTIVE: The goal was to assess emergency preparedness among families caring for children with type 1 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: A total of 115 English-speaking families caring for children with type 1 diabetes mellitus who were attending the diabetes clinic at Texas Children's Hospital agreed to a questionnaire study designed to ascertain their level of preparedness for a disaster or emergency. The study was conducted from June through September 2008 and ended just before Hurricane Ike made landfall. RESULTS: Families were better prepared for self-management of diabetes, compared with general disaster preparedness. Sixty-two percent of the families were generally unprepared for a major disaster. For self-management of diabetes specifically, however, 75% of families had adequate supplies to maintain care for 3 days. Families in higher and moderate socioeconomic status strata were better equipped for an emergency (P < .002). Preparedness was found to be independent of age, gender, ethnicity, and previous experience of a disaster. CONCLUSION: Disaster preparedness still lags in families of lower socioeconomic status.