Metabolic control and psychological sense of control in women with diabetes mellitus. Alternative considerations of the relationship.
OBJECTIVE
Identifying psychological strategies to buffer the adverse outcomes in people with diabetes mellitus (DM) remains a priority for many health professionals. While 'locus of control' (LOC) has been repeatedly investigated to this end, research findings are contradictory. The development of more complex appraisals of psychological control, and the utilization of control inventories deriving from such analyses, presents a way forward from such contradictions.


METHODS
Employing such a measure, this study examines the relationship between metabolic control and psychological sense of control in 96 women with DM.


RESULTS
Optimal metabolic control is significantly associated with overall sense of control, while poor metabolic control was significantly associated with experiences of loss of psychological control and feelings of inadequacy. Furthermore, poor metabolic control was significantly associated with reduced control in the specific domains of interpersonal relationships and bodily functions.


CONCLUSIONS
Multidimensional control inventories enable a more complex appraisal of the relationship between metabolic control and psychological control, and in doing so, provide a way forward from problems arising from reliance on LOC constructs. Interventions for DM management relying on aspects of psychological control need to target domains beyond traditional issues of self and bodily functions.
Surgenor
L J
LJ
Department of Psychological Medicine, Christchurch School of Medicine, University of Otago, PO Box 4345, Christchurch, New Zealand. lois.surgenor@chmeds.ac.nz
Horn
J
J
Hudson
S M
SM
Lunt
H
H
Tennent
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001294:Attitude to Health; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology; D019468:Disease Management; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012494:Sampling Studies; D020377:Self Efficacy
D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin