For young people with chronic conditions, medication and condition management will often be carried out in partnership with their parents/guardians. This project aims to explore the partnerships between young people and their parents in the management of asthma and diabetes.

In four health authority areas GP surgeries were invited to take part in the research. Surgeries were randomly allocated to recruit young people with either asthma or diabetes. Surgeries were initially contacted by letter, followed by telephone calls. Participating surgeries searched their computer records for young people aged 8-12 years with asthma or aged 8-15 years with insulin dependent diabetes. Eligible young people and their parents were sent a letter inviting them to participate in the study.

Home interviews were conducted with young people and their parents. Interviews were conducted with forty-two young people with asthma and their parents, and twenty-seven young people with diabetes and their parents (69 pairs of interviews were conducted in total).

Topics covered in the interviews included details of medication used, management of the condition at home and at school, details of consultations with healthcare professionals and the exploration of partnerships, responsibilities and management of the condition. Condition specific quality of life measures were also administered to young people and their parents. Interviews were tape recorded and transcribed verbatim for analysis.

Analysis has identified issues concerning the management of conditions and medication at home and in school. Analysis has also highlighted lifestyle factors and life events and the ways in which they may affect partnerships between young people and their parents. In the home responsibility for medication and condition management varied from being the sole responsibility of the parent in some cases, to being the sole responsibility of the young person in others. Patterns of partnership could also be distinguished in terms of the types of activities undertaken by each party at different times. The impact of these chronic conditions on the quality of life of young people has also been examined.

The results of this research will inform the development of advice and support services provided by health care professionals to young people with asthma and diabetes, and their parents.

With thanks to the School of Pharmacy, London and the Royal College of General Practitioners for funding this research.