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Comparative Study
. 2014 Oct;33(10):1125-33.
doi: 10.1037/a0033511. Epub 2013 Aug 5.

Relationships and health among emerging adults with and without Type 1 diabetes

Vicki S Helgeson  1 , Dianne K Palladino  1 , Kerry A Reynolds  2 , Dorothy J Becker  3 , Oscar Escobar  3 , Linda Siminerio  4
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Relationships and health among emerging adults with and without Type 1 diabetes

Vicki S Helgeson et al. Health Psychol. 2014 Oct.

Abstract

Objective: The study's goal was to examine the impact of parent and peer relationships on health behaviors and psychological well-being of those with and without Type 1 diabetes over the transition to emerging adulthood. Emerging adulthood is an understudied developmental period and a high-risk period--especially for those with Type 1 diabetes.

Method: Youth with (n = 117) and without Type 1 diabetes (n = 122) completed questionnaires during their senior year of high school and 1 year later. Measures included supportive and problematic aspects of parent and peer relationships, health behaviors, psychological well-being, and, for those with diabetes, self-care behavior and glycemic control.

Results: Prospective multiple and logistic regression analysis revealed that friend conflict was a more potent predictor than friend support of changes in health behaviors and psychological well-being. Parent support was associated with positive changes in psychological well-being and decreases in smoking, whereas parent control was related to increases in smoking and depressive symptoms. There was some evidence of cross-domain buffering such that supportive relationships in one domain buffered adverse effects of problematic relationships in the other domain on health outcomes.

Conclusions: This longitudinal study showed that parent relationships remain an important influence on, and peer relationships continue to influence, the health behaviors and psychological well-being of emerging adults with and without Type 1 diabetes. Parent relationships also have the potential to buffer the adverse effects of difficulties with peers.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The relation of parent control to the percentage of youth who used alcohol for those with low and high friend support.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The relation of friend conflict to bulimic symptoms for those who have low and high parent support.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The relation of parent control to self-care behavior among those who have low and high friend support.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The relation of friend conflict to glycemic control (hbA1c) among those who have low and high parent support.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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