Factors Related to Behavioral Functioning in Mothers of Children with Type 1 Diabetes: Application of Transactional Model of Stress and Coping

BACKGROUND: Having a child with diabetes creates a great deal of stress for mothers. The transactional model of stress and coping is one of the best conceptual frameworks for stressors. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate factors related to health promoting behaviors based on transactional model in mothers of children with type 1 diabetes. METHODS: This study was conducted on 180 mothers of children with type 1 diabetes. The data was collected using a multi-sectional questionnaire including demographic characteristics and questions about the model constructs. Data were analyzed by SPSS software (version 19) and using statistical tests. RESULTS: The highest mean score was related to interpersonal relationships (13.8 ± 4.5) and the lowest was related to stress management (10.8 ± 4.2). Linear regression model showed that mother’s education, information seeking, and social support had a positive effect, and primary appraisal and emotion-focused coping had a negative effect on the mother’s health promotion behaviors. In the regression model R-square accounts for 53.7% of the variance. CONCLUSIONS: The transactional model was an appropriate framework for explaining the coping outcomes in mothers of children with type 1 diabetes. By mothers’ attempts to improve attitude about diabetes and reduce their vulnerability, training to use coping strategies, increasing information and inter-sectoral interventions for attracting sufficient support from patients’ families can be hopeful in improving mothers’ behavioral Functioning.