[Model development in nursing science; the construction of a theoretical model].

The aim of the paper is to describe the development of nursing theory. As an example, a theoretical model of the compliance of young diabetics and related factors is built. The content of the theoretical model is not described but the process of developing the model is presented. In the first phase, a hypothetical model of young diabetics' compliance was developed inductively. The data were collected by interviewing 51 young diabetics aged 13-17 years, by observing the behaviour of 18 of these young people during an adaptation course and by analysing their drawings (N = 17). The data were analysed by using continuous comparative analyses and content analyses. In the second phase, an instrument for testing the model was developed. For this purpose, data were collected with a questionnaire from young diabetics aged 12-17 years (N = 91). The content validity, construct validity and reliability of the instrument turned out to be quite good. In the third phase, the hypothetical model was tested and developed further by using LISREL (linear structural relations) analyses. The data were collected with a questionnaire from young diabetics aged 13-17 years (N = 346). In the fourth phase, the model was expanded using the qualitative data (N = 51). The categories which had been discovered by continuous comparative analyses were quantified. The data were analysed by cross-tabulation, the chi square test and discriminant analyses. A summary of the results has been presented by building a theoretical model of young diabetics' compliance and related factors.