Abstract

ARENAS BERMUDEZ, Consuelo; MUELA MARTINEZ, José Antonio  and  GARCIA LEON, Ana. Relationship between objective treatment compliance in infantile diabetes and psychological variables of caregivers. Index Enferm [online]. 2007, vol.16, n.58, pp.16-20. ISSN 1699-5988.

Justification: Diabetes is a chronic elevation of glucose in the blood. In the case of children, treatment is not administrated by the patient but their caregivers. In this sense, personal characteristics that increase treatment compliance are not dependent on oneself but on other people. Main Aim: To find personal and environmental characteristics that may increase or decrease objective treatment compliance. Design and Method: Participants in this study were 60 principal caregivers of diabetic children (aged: 1-15 years). Optimism, self-efficacy, neuroticism, copying styles, parental styles, social support, demographic and family variables of caregivers were evaluated. Objective adherence, demographic and family variables of children were also measured. Analyses of data included means, correlations and differences between groups. Caregivers assisted to some psychoeducational sessions during the study, that lasted one year. Results and Conclusions: Caregivers with higher objective adherence are characterized by having a thorough knowledge of diabetes, and being afraid of consequences of bad treatment compliance; they usually use problem-solving copying strategies, they show a positive motivation and attitude and they do not feel guilty. Finally, they exhibit a high level of control and affect in their parent-son relationships (democratic parental style).

Keywords : Treatment compliance; Diabetic children; Psychological variables; Caregivers.