Meaning of illness and health outcomes in type 1 diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether a relationship exists between the meaning attributed to type 1 diabetes and mental and physical health outcomes.


METHODS
The study sample consisted of 49 adults with type 1 diabetes. Each participant voluntarily agreed to complete the Meaning of Illness Questionnaire (MIQ), the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36), and the Diabetes Health Survey. Multivariant analysis of covariance was used to determine the relationships among the MIQ and SF-36, a history of depression, hemoglobin A1c, and other demographic variables.


RESULTS
The meaning attributed to illness predicted health outcomes. Specifically, the impact of illness (MIQ subscale 1; P = 0.030) predicted SF-36 physical functioning, bodily pain, and general mental health; the degree of stress (MIQ subscale 3; P = 0.008) predicted SF-36 general physical health, vitality, and general mental health. Conversely, a history of depression (P = 0.014) and high hemoglobin A1c (P = 0.039) predicted a more negative meaning attributed to illness.


CONCLUSIONS
The meaning attributed to illness varies with physical and mental health. In addition, physical and mental health outcomes and hemoglobin A1c, a measure of mean blood glucose, affect the meaning attributed to diabetes. The findings in this study support a bidirectional relationship between the meaning attributed to illness and health outcomes in patients with type 1 diabetes.
McFarland
K F
KF
Department of Medicine, Department of Family & Preventive Medicine, Honors College, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina, USA.
Rhoades
D R
DR
Campbell
J
J
Finch
W H
WH
D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000453:epidemiology; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000453:epidemiology; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000453:epidemiology; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D044469:Racial Groups; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin