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Youths with insulin -dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM ) have been shown to be at increased risk for psychosocial problems (Davis , Hess , & Hiss , 1988 ; Lustman , Griffith , Clouse , & Cryer , 1986 ; Popkin , Callies , Lentz , Colon , & Sutherland , 1988 ) . Social support in the form of peer relationships is thought to be a mediating factor in combating the negative effects of stress associated with chronic illness (White , Richter , & Fry , 1992 ) . The beneficial effects of social support may not be realized if diabetic children and adolescents have misconceptions about the illness attitudes of their healthy counterparts . The present study examined diabetic and well youths' attitudes toward diabetes , examined the diabetic youths' perceptions of well youths attitudes toward diabetes , and measured both groups' knowledge about diabetes .
Participants were 147 diabetic and 117 well children between the ages of 7 and 14 . They completed a diabetes knowledge questionnaire and a diabetes attitude questionnaire . The attitude measure was given twice with participants told to answer the first time as they normally would answer and told a second time to answer how others would answer .
Statistical analysis found that diabetic youths had more positive attitudes toward children with diabetes than well youths . Diabetic youths and healthy youths perceived a discrepancy between their own and others' attitudes toward children with diabetes with their own attitudes being more positive . Diabetic youths knew more about diabetes and assigned a lower level of responsibility for the diabetic condition than healthy youth . Knowledge about diabetes was found to be positively related to attitudes about diabetes . Implications of research findings were discussed . |
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