Abstract
Type 1 diabetes (Dm1) is a chronic endocrine and metabolic disease that affects the whole person and requires active, decisive treatment. However, personality traits may influence a patient’s adherence to treatment guidelines. The objective of this work is firstly to identify the 3 Asendorpf personality prototypes (resilient, undercontrolled and overcontrolled) in a sample of Dm1 individuals and determine whether there are any differences in comparison with a control sample; and, secondly, to study their association with adherence to self-care guidelines using both physiological indicators (HbA1C) and self-report measures. To achieve these objectives, a descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out. The sample comprised 294 participants, of whom 104 were people with Dm1 and 190 were controls. The participants, aged between 14 and 34 years, were classified by their scores in NEO-FFI-R, according to the personality characteristics inherent to Asendorpf’s prototypes. Asendorpf’s 3 prototypical personality patterns were found both in the group of people with Dm1 and in the control sample. These patterns showed different degrees of association with adherence to self-care guidelines for this disease and with psychological health factors. Importance should therefore be attached to the personality traits and Asendorpf prototypes of people with Dm1 when proposing interventions to address medical, psychological, and behavioral aspects.
Highlights
Type 1 Diabetes (Dm1) is a chronic metabolic condition caused by an absolute insulin deficiency [1] brought about by the autoimmune destruction of pancreatic β-cells.Treatment includes behavioral and metabolic self-care measures [2] like proper nutrition, avoidance of toxic habits such as tobacco and alcohol consumption, and regular physical exercise [3]
With respect to actual adherence, measured by HbA1c, no significant differences were found in the analysis of variance (ANOVA) between the three prototypic personality patterns
These patterns showed different degrees of association with adherence to self-care guidelines for Dm1 and with psychological health factors, once again confirming the existence of these personality patterns that are differentially related to psychological phenomena [24,29]
Summary
Treatment includes behavioral and metabolic self-care measures [2] like proper nutrition, avoidance of toxic habits such as tobacco and alcohol consumption, and regular physical exercise [3]. It includes insulin administration, self-monitoring of blood glucose, and the detection and treatment of hypoglycemia [4]. Adherence to self-care guidelines, defined as a person’s active, voluntary behavior aimed at improving, maintaining, and preventing health deterioration, is essential and decisive in Dm1 outcomes [7]. The main dimensions of adherence can be said to be the patient’s own behav-
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