Validation of scale measuring environmental barriers to diabetes-regimen adherence

This study reports on the validation of a diabetes-specific measure of environmental barriers to regimen adherence. The reliability and validity of the environmental barriers to adherence scale (EBAS) were determined for a sample of 214 insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients. The scale was shown to be a valid measure of barriers to adherence as assessed by its relationship to the barriers to adherence questionnaire and the barriers to adherence portion of the diabetes-care profile. The medication, testing, exercise, and diet subscales of the EBAS were correlated with four corresponding and three noncorresponding measures of self-care behavior from the diabetes self-care behaviors scale. Each subscale correlated well with its corresponding self-care behavior. The internal consistency of the scale and the test-retest reliability were found to be good. The results suggest that the EBAS scale is a valid, reliable measure of barriers to diabetes-regimen adherence.