This study examined, for the first time, specific links between parents\u27 memory and children\u27s diabetes behaviors and metabolic control. Data revealed that parental memory and responsibility predicted children\u27s percentage of calories from fat and carbohydrates, and metabolic control, accounting for 7.3% of the variance in calories from fat and 18.5% of the variance in metabolic control for the total sample. These effects were stronger when limited to dietary behaviors of younger youth; parental memory accounted for 30.3% and 33.6% of the variance in percentage of calories from fat and carbohydrates, respectively, for younger children. Level of parent responsibility, with memory, moderated younger children\u27s percentage of calories from fat and carbohydrates, and children\u27s metabolic control. Parents with higher memory scores and more responsibility had disease indictors that were closer to ADA recommendations. Results suggest intervention to enhance parent memory may improve diabetes care and health status for youths with IDDM
