The study revealed a decline in three markers of parental involvement as the adolescent diabetic grows older: a decline in mothers' and fathers' monitoring of adolescents' diabetes care behaviors (for example, knowing what the adolescent eats), a decline in parents' acceptance of the teen in general (an indicator of parent-adolescent relationship quality), and a decline in their assistance with diabetes management tasks (such as getting the adolescent diabetes supplies).

But only some of those declining indicators of involvement actually related significantly to declines in the youths' adherence to their treatment regimen. In other words, teens and "tweens" who had more trouble following their treatment plan were those whose mothers became less accepting of them, and whose mothers and fathers had grown more lax about monitoring their offspring's diabetes treatment and care.

"Adolescence is a challenging time for those with a chronic illness," says King. "Adolescents experience a variety of biological, psychological and social changes before they reach adulthood. Adolescents with a chronic illness have to cope with these normal developmental challenges while trying to manage the demands of their chronic illness."

Source: University of Utah