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Diabetes
mellitus is one of the most common chronic illnesses among children.
While some studies indicate that children and adolescents adapt well to
the self-care demands of diabetes, other evidence indicates that adolescents
with diabetes may be at increased risk for psychological disorders or psychological
distress when compared to healthy peers. In the current study, we
will follow adolescents with diabetes as they undergo the transition to
college. We expect that changes in the social environment during
the transition to college will lead to an increase in the "spotlight effect,"
the idea that others are paying attention to your actions or appearance
which may lead young adults to perceive social situations as barriers to
self-care behavior. We will prospectively examine changes in the
spotlight effect, social situations that make self-care behavior difficult,
psychological distress, self-care behavior, and metabolic control.
We will also monitor changes in the structure and support received from
family and friends from home. The specific aims of the study are
to determine whether: 1) the transition to the new social environment of
college is associated with an increase in psychological distress, a decline
in self-care behavior and deterioration of metabolic control; 2) the transition
to the new social environment of college is associated with an increase
in the spotlight effect; 3) an increase in the spotlight effect is associated
with poor outcomes and whether social barriers mediate the association
between the spotlight effect and these outcomes; and 4) self-esteem moderates
the relation of the spotlight effect to barriers to self-care behavior
and whether self-efficacy moderates the relation of barriers to self-care
to poor health outcomes. (PDF
VERSION)(MS
WORD VERSION) |
