Income Relates to Adherence in Youth with Type 1 Diabetes Through Parenting Constructs.

The analysis used baseline data at one time point, so it cannot show that income caused parenting changes or that parenting changes caused poorer adherence or blood sugar control. The sample came from four major medical centers in urban and suburban areas and was limited to English-speaking families, so results may not apply to other settings. Youth with extremely poor glycemic control, recent psychiatric hospitalization, antipsychotic use, cognitive disability, or major chronic disease were excluded, so the study does not address those patients. Thirty-nine families were missing income data, so the analysis used 351 of the 390 families in the participant sample. Household income was reported in broad ranges without household size or insurance information, so income may not capture financial burden accurately. The measures did not allow comparison of different parents in two-parent families or comparison of one-parent and two-parent families. Three-quarters of youth were non-Hispanic white, so findings may not generalize across race and ethnicity groups.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The paper's publication types list intramural National Institutes of Health support.

Do not read this as proof that changing parenting style will improve diabetes control. The study measured associations at one time point, did not test an intervention, and direct links from income to adherence and blood sugar control were not found.