The Role of Psychological Factors and Metabolic Control in Adolescents with Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus: Research Portfolio

This study examines the importance of five psychosocial factors; duration and pubertal status in metabolic control, in adolescents with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). Four objectives were identified: a) To determine the group differences between metabolic control and the psychosocial and demographic variables. b) To determine if age of onset reflected any differences in terms of the psychosocial and demographic variables. c) To determine the effects of pubertal status in terms of the variables. d) To compare the self-esteem in this group of adolescents with diabetes to the Scottish norms. Sixty-one subjects between the ages of 12-16 currently attending an adolescent diabetic clinic participated in the study. Each young person was interviewed along with one of their parents and completed a number of questionnaires. Perceived behaviour provided a significant group difference in metabolic control (p=0.03) and a trend effect of parental involvement (p=0.09). Age of onset provided a significant, and non linear, main effect with knowledge about diabetes (p=0.02) and metabolic control (p=0.004). While pubertal status had a significant main effect on the self-esteem subscale of appearance (p=0.006). A trend effect, was found between age of onset of diabetes and the "sociability" subscale of the self-esteem measure (p=0.07)