Jennifer Shroff Pendley

Executive Functioning, Treatment Adherence, and Glycemic Control in Children With Type 1 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE The primary aim of the study was to investigate the relationship among executive functioning, diabetes treatment adherence, and glycemic control. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Two hundred and thirty-five children with type 1 diabetes and their primary caregivers were administered the Diabetes Self-Management Profile to assess treatment adherence. Executive functioning was measured using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning and glycemic control was based on A1C. RESULTS Structural equation modeling indicated that a model in which treatment adherence mediated the relationship between executive functioning and glycemic control best fit the data. All paths were significant at P < 0.01. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that executive functioning skills (e.g., planning, problem-solving, organization, and working memory) were related to adherence, which was related to diabetes control. Executive functioning may be helpful to assess in ongoing clinical management of type 1 diabetes.

Changes in Treatment Adherence and Glycemic Control During the Transition to Adolescence in Type 1 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE To test models of unidirectional and bidirectional change between treatment adherence and glycemic control in youth with type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We conducted a 2-year longitudinal, multisite study of 225 youth with type 1 diabetes recruited at the cusp of adolescence (aged 9–11 years) to describe the mutual influences of glycemic control as measured by HbA1c and treatment adherence as measured by blood glucose monitoring frequency (BGMF) during the transition to adolescence. RESULTS HbA1c increased from 8.2 to 8.6% (P < 0.001) and BGMF decreased from 4.9 to 4.5 checks per day (P < 0.02) during the 2-year period. Changes in the BGMF slope predicted changes in HbA1c. A change (increase) in HbA1c was associated with a change (decrease) in BGMF of 1.26 (P < 0.001) after controlling for covariates. CONCLUSIONS The magnitude of the effect of declining treatment adherence (BGMF) on glycemic control in young adolescents may be even greater than declines observed among older adolescents. BGMF offers a powerful tool for targeted management of glycemic control for type 1 diabetes during the critical transition to adolescence.

Distraction intervention for preschoolers undergoing intramuscular injections and subcutaneous port access

This study evaluated a distraction intervention designed to reduce the distress of preschool children undergoing repeated chemotherapy injections. Twenty-nine children aged 2-5 years were randomly assigned either to distraction by a developmentally appropriate electronic toy or to a wait-list control. Children who received the distraction intervention demonstrated lower overt behavioral distress and were rated by parents and nurses as less anxious than children in the control condition. The improvements were maintained over the 8-week intervention. The results suggest that a developmentally appropriate, multisensory, variable-distracting activity that requires active cognitive processing and active motor responses may be a viable cost-effective alternative to more time-intensive parent-training programs for preschool-age children.

Identification and prediction of group-based glycemic control trajectories during the transition to adolescence.

OBJECTIVE To identify trajectories of glycemic control over a period of 3 years in a pediatric sample of youth diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes transitioning to adolescence. A second aim was to examine a set of modifiable individual and family level baseline predictors of glycemic control group membership. METHODS This multisite, prospective study included 239 children and adolescents (ages 9-11 years at baseline) diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and their caregivers. Glycemic control was based on hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) collected at 6-month intervals over a period of 3 years. Predictors of glycemic control membership included baseline global executive functioning, diabetes self-management, diabetes-specific family conflict, blood glucose monitoring frequency, and relevant individual and family level covariates. RESULTS Group-based trajectory analyses were used to describe patterns of glycemic control from baseline to 36 months and 3 trajectories were identified: low risk (42.9%), elevated risk (44.6%), and high risk (12.1%) subgroups. Baseline maternal-reported family conflict, blood glucose monitoring frequency, and gender were significant predictors of glycemic control group membership. Higher levels of baseline family conflict, lower frequency of blood glucose monitoring, and female gender were associated with elevated and high-risk group membership. CONCLUSIONS These findings underscore the importance of examining trajectories of HbA1c across time. These results suggest that problematic trajectories of glycemic control are evident during the transition to adolescence. Furthermore, there are modifiable individual and family level characteristics that predict group membership and hence could be targeted in interventions to ensure adequate glycemic control is maintained over time and that risks for diabetes-related complications are reduced.

Adult Command Structure and Children's Distress During the Anticipatory Phase of Invasive Cancer Procedures

In this study, we examined the ways in which adults issued commands to children (adult command structure) and childrens distress during invasive cancer procedures. Forty-five children with cancer, ages 5-15 years, were videotaped during an intramuscular injection (IM) and a lumbar puncture (LP). Child distress was coded via the Observation Scale of Behavioral Distress. Adult commands were classified as specific direct, specific softened, specific phrased as question, or vague in structure. The results indicated that the relative proportion of vague commands was positively related to child distress. This apparent ineffectiveness of vague commands is consistent with the behavior management literature. In contrast, the relative proportions of specific direct commands issued by parents during IMs and specific softened commands issued by nurses during LPs were associated with lower levels of child distress. The findings suggest that clinical interventions as well as developmental models of adult-child interactions may need to be both setting and participant specific.

Autonomy support and responsibility-sharing predict blood glucose monitoring frequency among youth with diabetes.

OBJECTIVE Adolescence poses a number of special challenges for youth and their families managing the Type 1 diabetes medical regimen. Little is known on how family and youth factors and management of the regimen change over the course of early adolescence and predict adherence to the regimen during this developmental period. METHODS Youth with Type 1 diabetes (n = 239) and their maternal caregivers completed measures of diabetes-specific autonomy support, diabetes-related family conflict, regimen responsibility, and blood glucose monitoring frequency (BGMF) at 4 timepoints over a 3-year period. RESULTS Autonomy support and BGMF significantly decreased over time and responsibility for the diabetes regimen shifted from the caregiver toward youth over time. Significant changes in perceived family conflict over time differed depending on the reporter. Baseline BGMF, changes in caregiver autonomy support, and changes in responsibility for the regimen significantly predicted changes in BGMF over time. CONCLUSIONS This study documents changes in autonomy support, youth responsibility for the diabetes regimen, and BGMF during the transition into early adolescence. Higher levels of caregiver autonomy support preserve BGMF during a developmental period in which BGMF typically deteriorates.

Identification of self-management patterns in pediatric type 1 diabetes using cluster analysis

Rohan JM, Delamater A, Pendley JS, Dolan L, Reeves G, Drotar D. Identification of self‐management patterns in pediatric type 1 diabetes using cluster analysis.

Mother-Father Informant Discrepancies Regarding Diabetes Management: Associations With Diabetes-Specific Family Conflict and Glycemic Control

OBJECTIVE To examine the relationship of mother-father informant discrepancies regarding diabetes management to diabetes-specific family conflict and glycemic control. METHODS One hundred thirty-six mothers and fathers of youth with Type 1 diabetes reported on the youths diabetes management, diabetes-specific family conflict, and amount of paternal involvement in diabetes care. Glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was used to measure glycemic control. RESULTS As hypothesized, mother-father discrepancies regarding diabetes management were positively associated with frequency of diabetes-specific family conflict. Contrary to hypotheses, mother-father discrepancies regarding diabetes management predicted poorer glycemic control for youth with less involved fathers only. CONCLUSIONS Results highlight the importance of caregivers being consistent about pediatric illness management and support the idea that informant discrepancies represent an important window into the functioning of the family system.

A 3-Year Prospective Study of Parent–Child Communication in Early Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes: Relationship to Adherence and Glycemic Control

OBJECTIVE To examine changes in parent-child communication patterns and their relation to glycemic control and treatment adherence using observational data in a 3-year prospective multisite study of youth with type 1 diabetes aged 9-11 years at baseline and their families (n = 217). METHODS Adolescents and caregivers participated in a diabetes problem-solving discussion. Families were rated on negative and positive communication and interactions using the Interaction Behavior Code. RESULTS Maternal and paternal negative communication decreased over time, whereas adolescent and maternal positive communication and positive reciprocity increased. Baseline preadolescent youth and maternal positive communication predicted adherence 3 years later. Changes in family communication did not predict changes in glycemic control or adherence. CONCLUSIONS During the transition to adolescence, family communication changed in unexpected and positive ways. Additionally, the relationship of baseline family communication to subsequent adherence suggests the need to assess family communication concerning diabetes-related management during preadolescence.

Predicting Health Resilience in Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes: A Test of the Resilience Model Framework

OBJECTIVES This research examined whether individual and family-level factors during the transition from late childhood to early adolescence protected individuals from an increased risk of poor glycemic control across time, which is a predictor of future diabetes-related complications (i.e., health resilience). METHODS This longitudinal, multisite study included 239 patients with type 1 diabetes and their caregivers. Glycemic control was based on hemoglobin A1c. Individual and family-level factors included: demographic variables, youth behavioral regulation, adherence (frequency of blood glucose monitoring), diabetes self-management, level of parental support for diabetes autonomy, level of youth mastery and responsibility for diabetes management, and diabetes-related family conflict. RESULTS Longitudinal mixed-effects logistic regression indicated that testing blood glucose more frequently, better self-management, and less diabetes-related family conflict were indicators of health resilience. CONCLUSIONS Multiple individual and family-level factors predicted risk for future health complications. Future research should develop interventions targeting specific individual and family-level factors to sustain glycemic control within recommended targets, which reduces the risk of developing future health complications during the transition to adolescence and adulthood.