Attributions of adolescents with type 1 diabetes related to performing diabetes care around friends and peers: the moderating role of friend support.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationships among negative attributions of friend and peer reactions to diabetes management in social situations, anticipated adherence difficulties, friend support, diabetes stress, and metabolic control.


METHODS
A sample of 102 adolescents with Type 1 diabetes completed instruments measuring attribution of friend and peer reactions, anticipated adherence, friend support, and diabetes stress. Metabolic control was measured by the percentage of hemoglobin A1c.


RESULTS
Structural equation modeling demonstrated an excellent fit of two models depicting the mediating role of anticipated adherence difficulties and diabetes stress on the relationship between negative attributions of friend (first model) and peer (second model) reactions and metabolic control. Friend support was found to moderate the path between diabetes stress and metabolic control in an unexpected manner. That is, as friend support increased, so did the relationship between stress and metabolic control.


CONCLUSIONS
Adolescents who make negative attributions about reactions of friends and/or non friend peers are likely to find adherence difficult in social situations and have increased stress, with the latter associated with metabolic control. Results are discussed in terms of a social information processing model of adjustment.
Hains
Anthony A
AA
Department of Educational Psychology, PO Box 413, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA. aahains@uwm.edu
Berlin
Kristoffer S
KS
Davies
W Hobart
WH
Smothers
Melissa K
MK
Sato
Amy F
AF
Alemzadeh
Ramin
R
D000293:Adolescent; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D003710:Demography; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends; D006379:Helping Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D012931:Social Environment; D012944:Social Support