Children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: Associations between Glycaemic Control, Child Adjustment Behaviours, and Parental Style.

Abstract

Rates of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) in children are increasing globally. Considerable psychological research examines factors contributing to glycaemic control in adolescents. The aim of this study was to discover whether adjustment behaviours or parental styles explain greater variance in glycaemic control, in children. 196 parents, recruited from a Facebook group, completed measures of child adjustment and parental style. Results indicated there is a small negative correlation between adjustment behaviour total score and sub-scores, authoritarian parental style and glycaemic control. The small negative correlation revealed a pattern: as glycaemic control decreased adjustment behaviours and authoritarian parental style increased, particularly in older children. The study showed that child adjustment behaviours explain greater variance in glycaemic control than parental styles in children. As children mature adopting a more authoritarian parental style may help to improve glycaemic control in those aged 11+. Therefore, health professionals should aim to identify child adjustment behaviour problems early on, and work towards the development of valid interventions and reduce the complications of living with the condition. Keywords: Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Problem Behaviour, Parent* Styles, Glycaemic Control.