Journal of Pediatric Psychology Advance Access originally published online on October 20, 2006
Journal of Pediatric Psychology 2007 32(4):427-436; doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsl037
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The Relationship between Parent-Reported Social Support and Adherence to Medical Treatment in Families of Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes
1Department of Psychology, Case Western Reserve University and 2Division of Behavioral Pediatrics and Psychology, Rainbow Babies and Children ' s Hospital
All correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Amy Lewandowski, Case Western Reserve University, 1090 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106-7123, USA. E-mail: asl17{at}po.cwru.edu.
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Objective To investigate the relationships between both mother-reported spousal support and social network support, and mother-adolescent diabetes-related conflict, discrepancies in decision-making autonomy (DDMA), and adolescent adherence to diabetes treatment. Method Fifty-one mothers of adolescents with IDDM completed self-report measures of social support, diabetes-related conflict, and adolescent autonomy for diabetes care. Analyses tested conflict and DDMA as mediators between mother-reported social support and adolescent adherence to treatment. Results Increased levels of motheradolescent conflict were associated with poorer treatment adherence and both mother-reported diabetes-related conflict and DDMA predicted adolescents glycemic control. Higher levels of mother-reported spousal support were associated with less conflict and greater adherence to treatment. Sobel's test indicated a statistical trend for conflict as a mediator between spousal support and adolescent treatment adherence (p < .07). DDMA did not predict motheradolescent conflict and did not emerge as a mediator between mother-reported social support and adolescent adherence. Conclusions This study highlights the role of spousal support for mothers of adolescents with IDDM and indicates that the level of spousal support mothers receive may play an important role in the health care behaviors of their adolescents.
Key words: adherence; conflict; social support.
Received January 29, 2006; revision received June 6, 2006; revision received September 13, 2006; accepted September 21, 2006