The role of self-concept in the self-care management of adolescents with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of self-concept in the self-care management of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in adolescence. A convenience sample of sixteen adolescents from both rural and urban areas of middle and east Tennessee participated in the study. Ages of the eight males and eight females ranged from twelve to seventeen. Two questionnaires were used to collect data for the study. The Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale was used to measure self-concept. The Self-Care Questionnaire was used to measure self-care management. A demographic sheet was used to elicit pertinent information about participants. Correlations were applied to data to answer one main research question and four subsidiary questions concerning variables believed to influence self-care management. A significant correlation was found between self-concept and self-care management at the 0.05 level with a correlation of 0.4331 (r value for significance 0.426). No significant correlation was found between any of the other variables tested. Limitations of the study, implications for nursing interventions to improve self-care management, and recommendations for future research were discussed.