Validation of an abbreviated adherence measure for young people with Type 1 diabetes

Aims Adherence to diabetes-related tasks is an important construct. The Diabetes Self-Management Profile is a validated, semi-structured interview assessing adherence in paediatric patients with Type 1 diabetes. We created and validated a brief questionnaire version of the Diabetes Self-Management Profile called the Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire. Methods Young people with Type 1 diabetes, ages 9-15 years (n = 338) and their parents provided data from chart review, interview and questionnaires. Results Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire scores correlated significantly with Diabetes Self-Management Profile scores, HbA(1c), blood glucose monitoring frequency and other measures associated with adherence and/or glycaemic control (P <= 0.01 for all). Young people and parent scores were correlated (r = 0.55, P < 0.0001). The Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire demonstrated modest internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.59), adequate for a brief measure of multidimensional adherence. In addition, factor analysis confirmed one factor. Conclusions This brief adherence questionnaire demonstrated construct validity in young people 9-15 years old and their parents and may have utility in clinical and research settings.