Bullying, regimen self-management, and metabolic control in youth with type I diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the association among diabetes-related bullying, diabetes self-management, metabolic control, and depression in children and adolescents with type I diabetes (TID).


METHODS
Measures of diabetes-related bullying and depression were administered to 167 youth with TID at their regularly scheduled diabetes care visits. Parents were administered a clinician-rated index of their child's diabetes self-management. HbA1c levels were assessed.


RESULTS
Diabetes-related bullying was positively related to HbA1c concentration and negatively related to overall self-management and specifically to adherence to glucose testing and dietary tasks. Depressive symptoms partially mediated the relation between diabetes-related bullying and overall self-management.


CONCLUSIONS
Given the associations between diabetes-related bullying and regimen self-management, the issue of illness-related bullying merits serious attention for pediatricians and school personnel.
Storch
Eric A
EA
Department of Pediatrics, and the Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32610, USA. estorch@psychiatry.ufl.edu
Heidgerken
Amanda D
AD
Geffken
Gary R
GR
Lewin
Adam B
AB
Ohleyer
Vanessa
V
Freddo
Marianna
M
Silverstein
Janet H
JH
D000293:Adolescent; D000374:Aggression; D002648:Child; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D019468:Disease Management; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D012648:Self Care