The diabetes family social consequences survey: predicting diabetes quality-of-life in the context of insulin-treated multigenerational legacy of diabetes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.57177/idn.v19.347Keywords:
diabetes family stigma, multigenerational legacy of diabetes, quality of life, social consequencesAbstract
Background: Stigma is an important construct that can be shared and recalled by family members affected by diabetes. Stigma and disclosure beliefs are formed and passed down by families in the multigenerational context of diabetes. Insulin is an object of stigma in diabetes treatment, influencing health behavior and quality of life.
Methods: Hospitalized adults in a Northeast Coast Metropolitan area in the United States of America with diabetes who were newly initiated onto insulin were surveyed to assess the validity and reliability of the family social consequences of diabetes treated with insulin. The survey items were factor analyzed and tested for internal consistency reliability. The predictive ability of the survey to assess diabetes-specific health-related quality-of-life was assessed.
Results: The survey identified two highly valid and reliable components that measure recollections of family stigma and family disclosure within the context of insulin use in the multigenerational legacy of diabetes. Family stigma explained 59% variance, and family disclosure explained 70% variance. The survey significantly predicted diabetes-related health quality of life (R2 = 0.35, P = 0.02) with family stigma contributing uniquely to explaining variance in quality-of-life scores.
Conclusion: Family stigma and disclosure are measurable constructs capable of predicting quality of life. In the presence of recollections of family stigma and disclosure of insulin use, individuals experience sub-optimal health-related quality of life. Nurses and diabetes educators can assess the impact of family experiences on health outcomes.
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