Comparing Executive Functions in Normal and Diabetic Children in the City of Isfahan

Background: The emergence of chronic physiologic diseases such as diabetes damages the childrenchr('39')s psychological, cognitive, communicational, social and emotional processes. Therefore, the present study was aimed to compare executive functions in normal and diabetic children. Methods: The research method was cross-sectional. The statistical population included healthy and sick children in 2019 in Isfahan. The statistical population of the study included diabetic children and 150 healthy children who were selected through convenient sampling method. The applied questionnaires focused on their executive functions. The data from the study were analyzed through t method. Results: There was a significant difference between diabetic children and healthy ones in the variable of executive functions (p < 0.001), in a way that diabetic children got lower mean scores in executive functions. The mean scores of executive functions of children with diabetes were 233.63 and the mean scores of non-diabetic children were 192.64. Conclusion: According to the findings of the present study it can be concluded that diabetes causes the decrease of executive functions due to being chronic and this process emphasizes the necessity of applying child-oriented psychological interventions for these people.

Keywords:

Executive Functions , Diabetes , Children