An examination of how adolescent-caregiver dyad illness representations relate to adolescents' reported diabetes self-management.

BACKGROUND

Adolescence is a period associated with poor glycaemic control. The key developmental concerns of young people are in conflict with the requirements of diabetes self-management. This study explores the relative influence of adolescents' and caregivers' illness representations and how any difference/similarity in their representations may be related to adolescents' diabetes self-management.

METHODS

Fifty-five adolescents between 12 and 16 years of age were asked to complete the Diabetes Illness Representation Questionnaire and Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities Questionnaire. Their primary caregivers were asked to complete a caregivers' version of the Diabetes Illness Representation Questionnaire.

RESULTS

Caregivers believed diabetes to be more chronic, to have a more negative impact, pose more of a threat to adolescents' health and believed more strongly in the effectiveness of treatment than did adolescents. Caregivers' representations about the impact of diabetes and the ability of treatment to prevent future complications were related to adolescents' dietary self-management.

CONCLUSIONS

This study emphasizes the important role of significant others illness representations in adolescent self-management of diabetes.