Coping, Self-Management, and Adaptation in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes

Adolescents with type 1 diabetes experience stress related to treatment management, feeling different from peers, and deciding to tell others about their diabetes. This study examined the relationship of stress reactivity and coping with self-management, quality of life, and metabolic control in an ethnically diverse sample of adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Adolescents ( = 327) completed measures of coping and stress reactivity, self-management, and quality of life. Glycosylated hemoglobin data were collected from medical records. Low-income and minority status were related to lower levels of primary control coping (e.g., problem solving) and secondary control coping (e.g., acceptance), and higher levels of disengagement coping (e.g., avoidance). Self-management mediated the relationship between coping and stress reactivity with quality of life and metabolic control. Race/ethnicity and income moderated the relationship between coping and self-management goals. Results indicate differences in coping related to income and race/ethnicity and demonstrate the impact of coping on self-management and health outcomes in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.