Self-care behaviors in insulin-dependent diabetes: evaluative tools and their associations with glycemic control

Clarified the relationships between self-care behaviors and illness-specific outcomes in approximately 270 youths with IDDM. Youths were assessed at three points in time using a semistructured interview measure and multiple indices of dietary intake and physical activity with two different methodologies (i.e., recalls, logs). Glycemic control was most strongly related to the semistructured Self-Care Adherence Interview (SCAI); and second to the overall quality of the youth's dietary intake. The SCAI also predicted glycemic control over time. Physical activity levels and specific nutritional components from the logs and recalls were generally unrelated to glycemic control.