Food preferences in children with insulin-induced hypoglycaemia.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Food preferences in children and young people with insulin-induced hypoglycaemia.
IRAS ID
239512
Contact name
Julian Hamilton-Shield
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 4 months, 31 days
Research summary
Summary of Research
Hypoglycaemia occurs when blood glucose (sugar) levels drop too low. It is accompanied by several symptoms including anxiety, palpitations, tremor, sweating, and may result in seizures, coma, or death. Hypoglycaemia is a potentially serious event for people with Type I diabetes on insulin therapy.
Treatment of a hypoglycaemic episode usually entails consuming glucose followed by specific foods that can quickly restore blood glucose levels to normal. However, evidence suggests that many people who experience hypoglycaemia struggle to make the appropriate food choices, thus prolonging and worsening the medical consequences.This study aims to increase our understanding of appetite during hypoglycaemia by evaluating food preferences in children who are placed in a hypoglycaemic state as part of routine assessment for poor linear growth. The test, known as the Insulin Tolerance Test, is run in a controlled setting at the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children. Insulin is administered to induce hypoglycaemia and provoke an increase in growth hormone. Participants will be asked to rate their hunger and complete a food preference task run on a tablet four times during the clinical procedure. The task entails participants being presented with 153 comparisons of 18 foods and indicating the food they would ‘most like to eat right now’ by touching the corresponding image on the screen. We will then compare food preferences when the child has normal blood glucose levels versus hypoglycaemia. We expect that a preference for foods high in carbohydrate will become more evident as blood glucose levels drop. The project is supported by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at the University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Bristol. Findings will extend our understanding of the role of low blood glucose levels in triggering appetite, and could inform strategies for the effective management of hypoglycaemia.
Summary of results
The aim of this study was to find out if food preferences of children and adolescents change when their blood sugar levels drop. In particular, we wanted to find out if a decrease in the availability of sugar in our bloods causes children and adolescents to want to eat more carbohydrate foods. We used a computer-based activity to evaluate food preferences in children and adolescents who are injected with insulin (which lowers blood sugar levels) as part of a routine clinical procedure known as insulin-tolerance test.
Food preferences of 26 children undertaking the insulin tolerance test were examined. We found that a child/adolescent's preference for high carbohydrate foods does not change when their blood sugar level goes very low (known as hypoglycaemia). Blood sugar levels were generally unrelated to how much they prefer high carbohydrate foods over other types of food. We also found that the number of gummy bears, a high carbohydrate food, that children and adolescents would choose to eat if offered is also not influenced by the amount of sugar in their blood.
Has the registry been updated to include summary results?: No
If yes - please enter the URL to summary results:
If no – why not?: The Open Science Framework is a registry of study hypotheses and research protocol. Once the manuscript of the study has been published (currently under review at BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care), we will include the link to the published work (open access) on the platform. The Open Science Framework does not offer a dedicated section to include lay summary of results, which have been added to our newsletter for our Patient and Public Involvement members (over 30 people), and will be disseminated more widely alongside the publication (expected to be complete by 30 November 2022)REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 1 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/NE/0232
Date of REC Opinion
18 Jul 2018
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion