Karen Yu, University of Utah
Psychology
Objective
Existing literature has argued that peer support may be beneficial in facilitating adherence behaviors and metabolic control during adolescence (LaGreca et al., 1998). However, peers may also apply pressure to engage in behaviors that are at odds with good diabetes management (Drew et al., 2010). The present study examined how these two peer influences relate to adherence and metabolic control during adolescence and whether they become more important as adolescents are older.
Methods
One-hundred ninety-eight adolescents (M age =15.03, range 12.56-17.72, 45.6 % male) completed questionnaires. To assess friend support, adolescents completed the Network of Relationships Inventory and to assess how much adolescents were willing to sacrifice diabetes management to receive peer acceptance, the Extreme Peer Orientation Scale (EPO). Adherence was assessed via the Self-Care Inventory and HbA1c was collected from medical records.
Results
Separate multiple regressions were conducted to examine whether peer support and extreme peer orientation predict adherence and metabolic control (HbA1c). When predicting adherence extreme peer orientation was a significant predictor (ß = -.27, p< .01, t=-3.90), explaining 8% of the variance in adherence (F(2, 192)=8.00, p < .01). When adolescents reported being more willing to sacrifice diabetes management to conform to peers, adherence was lower. Neither EPO nor peer support were significant predictors of HbA1c (ps > .15). Interactions between age and extreme peer orientation and peer support were not significant for either model (ps > .12), indicating that age did not moderate these associations.
Discussion
During late adolescence, peers may have a negative effect on adhering to the diabetes regimen (diet, exercise, testing) when adolescents are willing to sacrifice diabetes management for peer acceptance. This effect seems to be consistent across late adolescence. Future studies should focus on addressing the question of why neither EPO nor peer support were able to predict HbA1c (an indicator of metabolic control), and exploring other dimensions of peer influence that may be more specific to diabetes.