Hardiness and compliance in elderly patients with diabetes

The purpose of this study was to determine if the presence of the hardiness personality characteristic influences compliance. The sample (N = 50) for this study was obtained from a hospital in a large metropolitan area of the United States. The majority of subjects were white, male, married, and diagnosed with type II diabetes. Instruments used to collect data were the Health-Related Hardiness Scale and the Self-Management Compliance Questionnaire. Results indicated that a significant correlation existed between the hardiness and compliance variables. Thirty-six percent of the variance in the compliance score was explained by the total health-related hardiness scores. Findings suggest that the degree of hardiness in individuals with diabetes may predict compliance to a prescribed diabetic regimen.