Coping and positive affect predict longitudinal change in glycosylated hemoglobin.
This study investigated whether different psychosocial factors predicted levels of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) over time, after adjusting for covariates and baseline level of HbA1c.



These questions were investigated with a longitudinal sample (N = 97, age = 61-91) of older women without diabetes. HbA1clevels and psychosocial measures were obtained at baseline and 2-year follow-up.



Coping strategies, positive affect, medical history, and health behaviors were assessed using self-administered questionnaires. HbA1cwere obtained during the respondents' overnight stay at the General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.



Regression analyses showed that higher levels of problem-focused coping, venting, and positive affect predicted lower levels of HbA1c, after controlling for baseline HbA1cand sociodemographic and health factors. Furthermore, positive affect was found to moderate the effects of problemfocused coping (active, instrumental social support, suppressing competing activities). The pattern of interaction showed that the adverse effects of low problem-focused coping on cross-time changes in HbA1cwere amplified among those who also had low levels of positive affect.
Tsenkova
Vera K
VK
Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706-1696, USA. tsenkova@wisc.edu
Dienberg Love
Gayle
G
Singer
Burton H
BH
Ryff
Carol D
CD
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011584:Psychology; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; C517652:hemoglobin A1c protein, human