Parenting Satisfaction and Efficacy Among Caregivers of Children With Diabetes

Abstract

This study assessed parenting satisfaction and efficacy in 53 parents of children with diabetes and 39 parents of physically healthy children. In addition, the relationship between parenting self-esteem and perceptions of child behavior, child age, disease duration, and metabolic control were examined. Parents of children with diabetes reported significantly lower levels of parenting satisfaction and efficacy compared to parents of healthy children, and their negative parental cognitions are most influenced by perceptions of more internalizing child problems, shorter diabetes duration, and poorer metabolic control. Parenting self-esteem was significantly inversely correlated with both internalizing and externalizing child behavior problems for parents of healthy children. The clinical implications of poor parental cognitions and directions for future research are highlighted.