The impact of mothers' sense of empowerment on the metabolic control of their children with juvenile diabetes.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the relationship between mothers' sense of empowerment as a psychological resource and the level of adherence to treatment and metabolic control of their adolescent children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM).

METHODS

Eighty-eight mothers filled out the Family Empowerment Scale, the Mastery Scale, the Self-Esteem Scale, and the Demographic Questionnaire. Their children with IDDM filled out the Self-Care Behaviors Questionnaire. At the same time, the level of glycohemoglobin was retrieved from their medical files.

RESULTS

Data analysis revealed that mothers' sense of empowerment contributes significantly to their children's adherence to treatment. Moreover, mothers' sense of empowerment and their education explain a significant proportion of the variance in their children's metabolic control.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings support the importance of developing and enhancing the parents' sense of empowerment toward better adherence and metabolic control of their children's IDDM.