Glycemic Control and Blood Glucose Monitoring Over Time in a Sample of Young Australians With Type 1 Diabetes: The role of personality

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether personality traits (conscientiousness, agreeableness, emotional regulation, extraversion, and openness to experience) are associated with glycemic control and blood glucose monitoring behavior, and change or stability of these outcomes over time, in young people with type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A 3-year longitudinal study was conducted using data from 142 individuals with type 1 diabetes, 8–19 years of age. Personality was assessed at baseline using the Five-Factor Personality Inventory for Children. Data relating to glycemic control (HbA(1c)) and frequency of blood glucose monitoring (based on meter memory) were collected annually. Relationships between personality traits and HbA(1c) and monitoring frequency were examined using regression models and mixed-design ANOVA. RESULTS: Three of the Five-Factor domains were independently associated with glycemic control. Individuals high in conscientiousness and agreeableness had a lower and more stable HbA(1c) across the 3-year study period. In contrast, the HbA(1c) of individuals scoring low on these traits was either consistently worse or deteriorated over time. Low or high emotional regulation scores were also associated with worse glycemic control. By the third year, these domains, together with initial HbA(1c), accounted for 39% of HbA(1c) variance. Conscientiousness was the only personality factor associated with blood glucose monitoring behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Results of this study underline the importance of personality in contributing to diabetes outcomes. Attention to a young person’s personality, and appropriate tailoring of diabetes management to ensure an individualized approach, may help to optimize diabetes outcomes.