Time Perspective and self-care in emerging adults with Type 1 diabetes

Objectives Type 1 diabetes (T1D) requires challenging daily self-care (SC) activities to control blood glucose and prevent future complications. In emerging adults aged 18-25 years, the glycaemic biomarker HbA1c is commonly above target, representing suboptimal glucose control. Future Time Perspective (FTP) has been associated with healthy behaviour, but research is lacking in people with chronic conditions. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between Time Perspective (TP) and SC in emerging adults with T1D. It was hypothesised that FTP would be associated with SC and negatively associated with HbA1c. Design A cross-sectional questionnaire design was used, to enable measurement of TP and SC variables using validated scales. Methods A total of 57 participants were recruited through Diabetes UK and an NHS clinic. The Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory and the Diabetes Self-Care Inventory were used to measure TP and SC respectively. Pearson’s correlations were conducted using SPSS version 25.0. Results A positive correlation was found between FTP and SC, r(55) = .45, p < 0.001, but no association was found between FTP and HbA1c. A positive correlation was found between Past Negative (PN) TP and HbA1c, (r(48) = .45, p = 0.001) with a negative association between PN and SC, (r(55) = -.26, p < 0.05). Conclusions In the sample, FTP was associated with SC, additionally PN was negatively associated with SC and optimal glycaemic control. Future studies could target TP for behavioural intervention in similar samples. The small sample size and reliance on self-reporting limited this study.