The impact of the family on diabetes adjustment: A developmental perspective

This study investigated how pubertal development may influence the relation between aspects of the family environment and diabetes adjustment. Subjects were 49 youngsters with newly diagnosed insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and their parents. Pearson correlations between aspects of the family environment and diabetes adjustment revealed many significant findings for the total sample and separately by pubertal development. Tests of differences between these correlations revealed support for our hypotheses in expected directions. These results suggest the adoption of a developmental perspective when considering how family life is related to a youngster's diabetes adjustment.