Bullying, regimen self-management, and metabolic control in youth with type I diabetes

Objective To determine the association among diabetes-related bullying, diabetes self-management, metabolic control, and depression in children and adolescents with type I diabetes (TID). Study design Measures of diabetes-related bullying and depression were administered to 167 youth with TID at their regularly scheduled diabetes care visits. Parents were administered a clinician-rated index of their child's diabetes self-management. HbA1c levels were assessed. Results Diabetes-related bullying was positively related to HbA1c concentration and negatively related to overall self-management and specifically to adherence to glucose testing and dietary tasks. Depressive symptoms partially mediated the relation between diabetes-related bullying and overall self-management. Conclusion Given the associations between diabetes-related bullying and regimen self-management, the issue of illness-related bullying merits serious attention for pediatricians and school personnel.