In this study, the relationship between metabolic control and family characteristics among couples with one partner diagnosed with Type II, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus was explored within the framework of systems theory. The sample included 62 diabetic individuals and their partners. Most of the subjects came from the lower-middle socioeconomic class, were male and of the Caucasian race, and had a mean age of 62. / Mean blood glucose levels of the diabetic partner, used to measure the dependent variable, were correlated with couples' combined scores on all subscales of the Moos Family Environment Scale. A significant relationship was found in only one variable, Moral-Religious Emphasis (r = .26, p = .02). The positive direction of this relationship suggests that lower blood glucose levels will be found in those partners whose relationships reflect a greater emphasis on Moral and ethical issues and values. / Correlations between the dependent variable and partners' incongruence scores on all subscales of the same instrument also revealed significance in only one variable. Organization was inversely related to blood glucose levels (r = -.28, p = .01). It can be conjectured that greater disagreement among couples in the planning and structure of daily activities and responsibilities will contribute to lower bood glucose levels in the diabetic partner. / Other relationships, explored between blood glucose levels and demographic and clinical variables, are reported in the study, with the strongest correlations shown in the variables of Age and Income. Such findings suggest that lower blood glucose levels are characteristic of younger individuals with higher incomes. / Limitations of the study include problems of instrumentation and uniform data collection. Implications suggest that additional research is needed to explore family variables in Type II diabetes mellitus with other populations, other forms of instrumentation and greater methods of control. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-05, Section: A, page: 1896. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1986.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_75816 |
| Contributors | SMITH, NANCY M., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 208 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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