Recent research, however, has uncovered
a different role that the family may play in diabetes self-care. In particular, there
is limited yet evolving evidence available on how diabetic family member’s illness
representations of diabetes influence the target diabetic’s own illness representations
and behavior. Savoca, Miller, and Quandt (2004) found that knowledge of a family
history of diabetes and beliefs about cause(s), treatment, and health outcomes of
family could be grouped according to extremes of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c):
excellent and poor control. Yet individuals’ perceptions are unique and only partly
influenced by discussions, observations, and judgments of family members experiences
with diabetes