School Physical Education for students with diabetes mellitus type 1

Abstract

A child and a teenager with diabetes mellitus type 1 (DM type1) need attention and special care over their lives. The school is an important social group over the childhood and adolescence, and if it is well structured and with well aware professionals concerning the disease, it will be able to interfere in a decisive way in the lives of children and teenagers with DM type1. The school certainly may contribute with those youngsters, mostly concerning the acceptance of the disease and the improvement of the self-esteem, and consequently, of the self-care. On that way, the role played by the teacher becomes essential, for it is the one who will be with the students the most part of the time while they are in school. According to the opinion of diabetic students’ parents, having teachers who are well aware about the disease and a good structure to receive a student with diabetes are the main help that the school may offer. The physical education teacher must be prepared in a special way, due to physical activity, the risk of occur a hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia crisis over the class increases considerably. At this, it is necessary for teachers to be always alert in question to the particular characteristics of their diabetic students during hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia situations. In the presence of such necessity, the aim of this article is to show up to the physical education teacher the most recent bibliographic characteristics of the DMI-holder and respective implications.