Executive function and somatic problems in adolescents with above target glycemic control

Adolescents with type 1 diabetes may be at elevated risk for somatic problems. This study used cross-sectional, baseline data from an intervention to examine if problems with executive function (EF) were associated with greater somatic problems independent of poor adherence and disease severity in adolescents with type 1 diabetes and above target glycemic control. In addition, it examined whether certain types of EF skills, that is, metacognitive and behavior regulation, accounted for variance in somatic problems. Ninety-three adolescents completed a glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) blood test and parents completed adherence, somatic problems, and EF questionnaires, which measured metacognitive, behavior regulation, and global EF. Greater somatic problems had significant bivariate associations with greater global (r = 0.42, P < 0.01), metacognitive (r = 0.43, P < 0.01), and behavior regulation EF problems (r = 0.31, P < 0.01), worse adherence (r = -0.39, P < 0.01), and poorer metabolic control (r = 0.26, P < 0.05). However, when adherence, metabolic control, and EF subscales were examined together in the same model, only greater global EF problems (b = 0.15, P < 0.01) and metacognitive EF problems (b = 0.16, P < 0.01) were independently associated with greater somatic problems; behavior regulation EF problems were not independently associated with greater somatic problems when controlling for adherence. Metacognitive EF problems may predict somatic problems in adolescents with above target glycemic control above and beyond physical symptoms related to disease management, underscoring the importance of proper assessment and treatment of these distinct somatic problems.