Patterns of Family Functioning and Diabetes-Specific Conflict in Relation to Glycemic Control and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Youth With Type 1 Diabetes.
General and diabetes-specific family functioning may be associated with youth’s adaptation to type 1 diabetes (T1D); however, empirically derived patterns of family functioning and diabetes-specific conflict among youth have not been explored in relation to T1D adaptation.



Youth (N = 161, aged 12–18) with T1D and caregivers completed measures of family functioning and diabetes-specific conflict that served as indicators in latent profile analyses. Differences in glycemic control (measured by hemoglobin A1cs [HbA1c] and health-related quality of life [HRQoL]) were compared across profiles.



Four profiles that varied by levels of family functioning, diabetes-specific conflict, and congruence between youth and caregiver perspectives emerged and related to T1D adaptation differently. Greater agreement between caregiver and youth and lower diabetes-specific conflict was associated with lower HbA1c and greater HRQoL.



Person-centered approaches are useful to quantify how many individuals fit into a particular pattern and determine how specific family dynamics may function together differently in relation to T1D adaptation for various subgroups of the population.
Department of Psychology, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA.
Tiffany M
TM
Rybak
Department of Psychology, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA.
Jeanelle S
JS
Ali
Department of Psychology, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA.|Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center-Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA.
Kristoffer S
KS
Berlin
Department of Psychology, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA.
Kimberly L
KL
Klages
Department of Psychology, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA.
Gabrielle G
GG
Banks
Department of Psychology, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA.
Rebecca C
RC
Kamody
Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center-Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA.
Robert J
RJ
Ferry
Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center-Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA.
Ramin
R
Alemzadeh
Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center-Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA.
Alicia M
AM
Diaz-Thomas
D000293:Adolescent; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D015190:Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000523:psychology*; D054541:Family Conflict / Q000523:psychology; D005195:Family Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*
D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin
adolescence; chronic illness; conflict; family functioning; latent profile analysis; quality of life; type 1 diabetes