Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Across different chronic diseases, it has been shown that problem focused coping is associated with better adjustment. The aim of the study was to evaluate the various coping behaviors of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) and their association with metabolic control and duration of disease.

Methods: The study population consisted of 65 children and adolescents with T1DM (male/female: 22/43) with a mean (±S.D.) age of 12.6 (±5.2) years, disease duration of 4.8 (±4.4) years and HbA1c of 8.1 (±1.6)%, who attended the diabetic clinic of the University Department of a Tertiary Children’s Hospital. The “Ways of Coping Questionnaire” (Lazarus and Folkman), adapted and standardized in Greek population, was completed by all adolescents, 36 fathers (67.9%) and 17 mothers (32.1%). Coping was categorized as: (i) active coping, (ii) seeking social support, (iii) wishful thinking, (iv) problem avoidance, (v) aggressive coping.

Results: There was a significant association between fathers’ and adolescents’ coping styles in respect of “active coping” (r=0.41, P=0.016) and “seeking social support” (r=0.38, P=0.023). Female adolescents used more the “seeking social support” way compared to males (1.92±0.73 vs 1.39±0.99, P=0.041). Duration of disease was positively associated with the “active coping” style (r=0.36, P=0.014). Regression analysis for metabolic control showed that greater use of “aggressive coping” (P=0.014) and lower use of “active coping” (P=0.035) were related to a significant increase in HbA1c, which means that more constructive behavior has a positive impact on metabolic control.

Conclusion: Active coping was associated with better metabolic control and longer diabetes duration in adolescents with T1DM. Female adolescents with T1DM used more the “seeking social support” strategy compared to males, which is also reported in healthy adolescents. Assessment of coping behavior might be useful in the identification of adolescents in need of particular support and counseling.