Abstract
We examined support for type 1 diabetes in casual versus committed romantic relationships and links to blood glucose, self-care, and affect in 101 young adults (Mage 18.8). Individuals provided survey and daily measures of support and blood glucose and affect during a 14-day diary period. Survey data indicated individuals viewed partners as helpful, with partners in committed relationships rated more helpful than those in casual relationships. Daily assessments indicated partners were seen as only moderately helpful. Individuals in committed relationships discussed diabetes with partners on more diary days than those in casual relationships. When individuals in any relationship type experienced more helpful partner support than their average, they reported higher positive and lower negative affect. However, those in casual relationships also experienced more negative affect and higher mean blood glucose the next day. Results suggest tradeoffs between immediate benefits and subsequent costs of partner support to adults in casual relationships.
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Notes
All analyses in the present study were repeated while omitting PWD who lived with their partners (Aim 1 analyses) or controlling for cohabitation (Aim 2 & 3 multilevel models). Results remained unchanged, suggesting the observed effects were not due to cohabitation; see Roberson et al. (2017). Similarly, all multilevel models were repeated including gender as a potential moderator; gender was not found to moderate any effects. Finally, due to the possibility that PWD who indicated they were “dating but not in a committed relationship” may be dating multiple persons simultaneously or have only one partner but no formally-defined relationship, additional analyses were performed on the advice of an anonymous reviewer. In these models, which retained only PWD who indicated having a specific romantic partner (n = 78), the pattern of results remained intact.
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This work was supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases at the National Institutes of Health (Grant Number R01 DK092939).
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Data collection: CAB, DJW. Data preparation & analysis: RGKdG, AKM. Study & manuscript formulation: all authors.
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University of Utah & University of Texas Southwestern IRBs approved this work. The study was performed in accordance with the ethical standards as laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments.
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All procedures followed were in accordance with ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000. Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study. All individual participants provided informed consent to participate and use of their data for publication. Emerging adults who were 18 years and older provided signed informed consent for their own participation, while participants who were 17 years or younger at the time of enrollment provided signed assent and a parent provided parental consent; younger participants provided signed consent when they turned majority age.
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The methods of this study are based on a study first reported in Berg et al. (2014), Journal of Pediatric Psychology. The first author expresses appreciation to DCS, who first put a face on T1D for me and allowed me to try to be a supportive partner, and to Jessica Mansfield, M.S., without whom science might be impossible. This research and development of the manuscript were conducted using renewable energy and carbon offsets.
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Kent de Grey, R.G., Berg, C.A., Campbell, M.S. et al. Diabetes support from romantic partners during early emerging adulthood. J Behav Med 45, 558–570 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-021-00271-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-021-00271-5