The relationship of parental overprotection, perceived child vulnerability, and parenting stress to uncertainty in youth with chronic illness.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship of parent-reported overprotection (OP), perceived child vulnerability (PCV), and parenting stress (PS) to youth-reported illness uncertainty, and to explore potential developmental differences.


METHODS
Eighty-two children and 82 adolescents (n = 164) diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM1) or asthma, completed a measure of illness uncertainty, while their parents completed measures of OP, PCV, and PS.


RESULTS
After controlling for demographic and illness parameters, both PCV and PS significantly predicted youth illness uncertainty in the combined sample. Within the child group, only PS significantly predicted illness uncertainty, whereas only PCV significantly predicted uncertainty for adolescents.


CONCLUSIONS
Specific parenting variables are associated with youth-reported illness uncertainty; however, their relationship varies according to developmental level. Although OP has been identified as a predictor of child psychological outcomes in other studies, it does not appear to be associated with illness uncertainty in youth with DM1 or asthma.
Mullins
Larry L
LL
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City 73104, USA. larry-mullins@ouhsc.edu
Wolfe-Christensen
Cortney
C
Pai
Ahna L Hoff
AL
Carpentier
Melissa Y
MY
Gillaspy
Stephen
S
Cheek
Jeff
J
Page
Melanie
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires