Self-Control as a Mediator of the Link Between Intelligence and HbA1c During Adolescence

The study examined in adolescents with type 1 diabetes whether higher intelligence was predictive of better subsequent metabolic control through better self-control. Two-hundred fifty two adolescents with type 1 diabetes completed an intelligence test and a measure of self-control at baseline. HbA1c was gathered from medical records at baseline and six months later. A path model revealed that adolescent intelligence at Time 1 was associated with changes in HbA1c from Time 1 to Time 2 through adolescents’ higher self-control. Higher intelligence may be a resource for the application of self-regulatory skills during adolescence that facilitate metabolic control.