722-P: The Value of Collaborative Parental Involvement in Diabetes Management for Youth with Type 1 Diabetes

Abstract

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is typically diagnosed during late childhood or early adolescence. Parents are often initially responsible for their child's diabetes management, which transfers to the child over time. The Collaborative Parent Involvement (CPI) Scale measures the child's perceived quality of parental involvement in their diabetes care. We examined the relationship between CPI and other key factors of child and adolescent T1D management: self-care, Diabetes Family Conflict (DFC), and Pediatric Quality of Life (PedsQL). Data were collected from participants in a randomized controlled trial which included adolescents with T1D (age 11-17) and their female caregivers. Participants completed baseline surveys, including the CPI, DFC, and PedsQL, as well as a parent- and self-report measure of how well the child manages their diabetes. HbA1c was extracted from adolescents’ medical charts. Bivariate correlations were used to assess relationships between CPI and other diabetes outcomes. Higher levels of collaborative parenting were associated with greater self- and parent-reports of perceived self-care (r= .23, .22, both p<.01). In contrast, greater collaboration was associated with lower levels of child- and parent-reported diabetes-specific conflict (r= -.23, -.20, p<.01, p<.05). Higher levels of collaboration were also associated with higher quality of life (r= .45, p<.01) and lower HbA1c (r= -.28, p<.01). No significant differences in CPI scores were found related to child gender, race/ethnicity, diabetes device use, or between different income groups. Findings indicate that adolescents’ perceived quality of parental involvement is associated with several key factors of T1D management. While the quantity of parental involvement is often a targeted area in pediatric T1D care, clinicians and parents should also focus on the quality of involvement. Enhanced parent-child collaboration may help families handle the many stressors associated with T1D management. Disclosure K.I.Anifowoshe: None. S.S.Jaser: None. Funding National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R01DK11545)