| The purpose of this study was to explore the construct of anxiety sensitivity within the context of a chronic childhood illness. Research among adults has found that anxiety sensitivity is positively related to symptoms of chronic pain, disease-specific fears, and self-management of the disease in patients diagnosed with chronic illnesses. However, anxiety sensitivity and its relationship to chronic illness have not been studied in children. The Childhood Anxiety Sensitivity Index and the Fear of Hypoglycemia Survey were administered to 152 participants in a longitudinal study of Type 1 Diabetes studying children ages 10-17. Their parents were given the same measures to examine the relationship between parents and children's level of anxiety sensitivity and fear of hypoglycemia. Pearson correlations and linear regression revealed that while anxiety sensitivity and the fear of hypoglycemia were positively related among both children and their parents, childhood anxiety sensitivity was not related to blood glucose monitoring. Parental anxiety sensitivity, however, was positively related to blood glucose monitoring for those parents involved with their child's diabetes care. Results are discussed in terms of clinical implications and future research directions. |
