Cognitive Adaptation's Implication on Diabetic Adherence

• Main Author: Ancona, Martin
• Other Authors: Claire Advokat
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: LSU 2005
• Subjects: Psychology
• Online Access: http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-03222005-073650/

Diabetes, affecting more than 18 million people in the United States, is an epidemic problem. The illness is usually progressive, leading to neuropathy, blindness, and limb amputation. The most common type of the illness, Type 2 diabetes, is usually controllable through a strict combination of diet, exercise, and medication. However, non-compliance, rather than compliance, to prescribed diabetes regimens is the norm. Although past research has uncovered many of the reason that diabetics may fail to adhere to their regimen, the whole puzzle has not yet been solved. This study looked at the Cognitive Adaptation Theory in relation to diabetic adherence. In the past, patients with high levels of cognitive adaptation, or high levels of mastery, optimism and self-esteem, have shown better disease prognosis. However, participants in past studies had illnesses that were largely out of their control (i.e., cancer, AIDS before HAART). This study hypothesized that high levels of cognitive adaptation would predict poorer diabetic adherence, as measured by HbA1c levels. This hypothesis was not supported by the data.