Health-risk behaviors and type 1 diabetes outcomes in the transition from late adolescence to early emerging adulthood

ABSTRACT

This study examined within- and between-person associations between health-risk behaviors (smoking, drinking, insulin withholding) and type 1 diabetes (T1D) outcomes (adherence and HbA1c) during the high-risk transition from late adolescence to early emerging adulthood utilizing a 2-year longitudinal study. Beginning in the senior year of high school, participants (n = 197) with T1D completed measures of health-risk behaviors, adherence, and HbA1c annually at three time points. Health-risk behaviors were associated with poorer diabetes outcomes during the transition from late adolescence to early emerging adulthood. These results highlight the importance of monitoring health-risk behaviors regularly and intervening to reduce health-risk behaviors during this important developmental transition.

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases at the National Institutes of Health (grant number R01DK092939, MPIs Berg and Wiebe). No author had any conflicts to disclose.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases [R01DK092939].