Brief report: Hope, perceived maternal empathy, medical regimen adherence, and glycemic control in adolescents with type 1 diabetes

Abstract

Objective The relationships among hope, perceived maternal empathy, medical regimen adherence, and glycemic control in adolescents with type 1 diabetes were examined.MethodTwenty-nine girls and 21 boys with type 1 diabetes completed measures of hope, perceived maternal empathy, and medical regimen adherence. Each participants most recent hemoglobin A1c, a measure of glycemic control, was obtained from the diabetes clinic database.ResultsSignificant correlations were found among hope, perceived maternal empathy, and medical regimen adherence. Significant correlations were also found among hope, perceived maternal empathy, and glycemic control. Adolescents' perceptions of maternal empathy were positively correlated with level of hope. Hope appeared to mediate the relationship between perceived maternal empathy and adherence, as well as between perceived maternal empathy and glycemic control.ConclusionsThe results of this study affirm the need for longitudinal research that examines the associations among hope, perceived maternal empathy, medical regimen adherence, and glycemic control.