Development of the Diabetes Health Threat Communication Questionnaire (DHTCQ)

(1) To develop a brief instrument, the Diabetes Health Threat Communication Questionnaire (DHTCQ) to measure diabetes patients' (type1 and type 2) perceptions of the health threat communication process (i) at time of diagnosis and (ii) since diagnosis; (2) to assess the measure' psychometric properties.

Data from a pilot study (n=110) and a prospective longitudinal study (n=158, within 3 months of diagnosis and n=147, 6 months after baseline) were examined in order to demonstrate reliability and validity of the DHTCQ.

Principal components factor analysis revealed 2 meaningful factors (Reassurance and Threat) with satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach' alpha) and adequate test-retest reliability. Correlational analyses supported the measure' construct validity.

Initial support for the psychometric properties of the DHTCQ was shown. Perceptions of health threat communication were associated with patients' illness representations of diabetes (beliefs and feelings about diabetes and its treatment).

The DHTCQ may be used to assess patient perceptions of health communication and shape subsequent communication. The findings may help to improve practitioner/patient interaction leading to more adaptive representations of diabetes.