Mothers', Fathers', and Children's Perceptions of Parental Diabetes Responsibility in Adolescence: Examining the Roles of Age, Pubertal Status, and Efficacy

• Published in: Journal of pediatric psychology 2009-03, Vol.34 (2), p.195-204
• Main Authors: Palmer, Debra L., Berg, Cynthia A., Butler, Jorie, Fortenberry, Katherine, Murray, Mary, Lindsay, Rob, Donaldson, David, Swinyard, Michael, Foster, Carol, Wiebe, Deborah J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; adolescents; Adult; age; Age Factors; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child clinical studies; diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - drug therapy; Diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance; efficacy; Endocrine pancreas. Apud cells (diseases); Endocrinopathies; Etiopathogenesis. Screening. Investigations. Target tissue resistance; fathers; Fathers - psychology; Female; Health Behavior; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; mothers; Mothers - psychology; Parent-Child Relations; Parenting; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; puberty; Sections on Quality of Life in Chronic Conditions; Self Efficacy; Social Perception; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 0146-8693; 1465-735X
• DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsn073

Objectives To examine how perceptions of parental responsibility for diabetes management are associated with age, pubertal status, adolescents’ self-efficacy, and parental perceptions of adolescents’ efficacy, and if parental responsibility is associated with better metabolic control as a function of adolescents’ self-efficacy and parental perceptions of adolescents’ efficacy. Methods Questionnaires assessing parental responsibility, pubertal status, adolescents’ self-efficacy, and parental perceptions of adolescents’ efficacy were given to 185 adolescents with type 1 diabetes, 185 mothers, and 145 fathers. Results Greater parental responsibility was negatively associated with age, perceptions of pubertal status, and efficacy for all reporters. Interactions between parental responsibility and parental perceptions of adolescents’ efficacy indicated that parental responsibility was associated with better metabolic control when adolescents were perceived to have lower efficacy. Conclusions Adolescents’ and parents’ perceptions of parental responsibility are related to multiple factors. Metabolic control is best when high parental responsibility is maintained among adolescents with lower efficacy.