Assessing readiness to change the balance of responsibility for managing type 1 diabetes mellitus: adolescent, mother, and father perspectives.

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the reliability and validity of items assessing adolescent and parent readiness to change the balance of responsibility for managing type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).

METHODS

Sixty-nine adolescents with T1DM and their caregivers completed questionnaires assessing readiness to change the balance of responsibility, division of responsibility for diabetes management tasks, self-efficacy, and parenting stress. Stages of change classifications were determined for individual respondents and families.

RESULTS

Participant inclusion in the different readiness to change classifications was associated with the variability in scores for indices of responsibility, self-efficacy, and parenting stress. Adolescent, maternal, and paternal characteristics accounted for differing amounts of variance in predicting readiness to change the balance of responsibility scores.

CONCLUSIONS

Individual assessment of youth and caregivers' readiness to change the balance of responsibility for diabetes management tasks may be beneficial to providers during the youths' transition from adolescence to young adulthood.