The Role of Compensatory Beliefs and Self-efficacy on Treatment Adherence in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes

Abstract

Many adolescents suffering from type 1 diabetes have difficulty following the strict demands of their treatment, which can lead to serious health complications. Previous research has shown that self-efficacy, or the conviction that one can achieve a certain goal, has a positive effect on adherence to treatment. We propose that compensatory beliefs (CBs) also have a significant impact on the adherence to treatment which explains why diabetic teenagers fail to fully adhere to their proposed treatment. In a sample of 115 diabetic adolescents, inaccurate compensatory beliefs significantly correlated with poor glycemic control, self-reported blood-sugar monitoring and diet. However, self-efficacy did not significantly correlate with CB levels and accurate compensatory beliefs were not significantly linked of many of the measures of treatment adherence.