Metabolic control and quality of life in type 1 diabetes: do adherence, family support, and school support matter?

Abstract

This study analyzed the relationship between clinical and demographic variables, family support, school support, and adherence on adolescents' metabolic control and quality of life (QoL) based on Adaptation to Chronic Disease in Childhood's model. The sample included 100 adolescents and 100 parents. Adolescents were assessed on adherence, family support, school support, and QoL. Parents were assessed on family functioning and parental coping. A path analysis was performed to assess the adequacy of the theoretical model to the sample. Daily glycemic monitoring was associated with better metabolic control and diabetes hospitalizations with worse metabolic control. The final model showed adherence, family support, school support, and family functioning having an indirect effect on the relationship between adolescence stage, number of daily glycemic monitorings, number of hospitalizations, and metabolic control/QoL. Adherence had an indirect effect on the relationship between glycemic monitoring and family and school support, suggesting that adolescents need both types of support to perform diabetes self-care tasks. QoL showed a direct effect on metabolic control revealing the importance of QoL in the design of interventions to promote metabolic control in adolescents.