(F02B) Exploring Age at T1D Diagnosis and Diabetes Distress in Emerging Adults

Young adults with T1D may experience elevated psychosocial burden during the transition period to adulthood. While diabetes distress is known to impact self-management and health outcomes, there is limited research examining how developmental timing of diagnosis in childhood versus adulthood shapes distress and health outcomes in early adulthood. Existing literature suggests that age at diagnosis may influence psychological adjustment, perceived disease burden, and health outcomes. As the number of patients diagnosed with T1D in adulthood increases, the impact of age at T1D onset may be of increasing relevance.
Our project addresses gaps in literature by examining whether diabetes distress differs by age at diagnosis in young adults with T1D and whether this relationship changes when adjusting for demographic and clinical factors. The research question guiding our analysis is: Does age at T1D diagnosis predict diabetes distress in emerging adulthood, after accounting for relevant demographic and clinical covariates?
This session will present the research question, population characteristics, and analytic approach, along with implications for diabetes care and psychosocial support in emerging adulthood.

Complete list of authors of the research with names, credentials, and institutional affiliations (a list of authors of the research, not a list of presenters).: Niki J. Rodgers, BA, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Julia E. Blanchette, PhD, RN, BC-ADM, CDCES, FADCES, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, University Hospitals Department of Endocrinology

List all sources of funding for your research. If none, type N/A.: This work was supported by the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust (G-2305-05992).