Development and validation of the diabetes adolescent problem solving questionnaire

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Endocrinology
• Behavioral Science
• Diabetes Management

Background:

• Problem-solving is crucial for effective diabetes self-management in adolescents.
• Existing measures for assessing this skill in youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) lack clinical feasibility.
• Developing a reliable and valid self-report tool is essential for clinical practice and research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a self-report questionnaire to assess self-management problem-solving skills in adolescents with T1D.
• To create a brief, clinically feasible instrument for use in routine care.
• To evaluate the psychometric properties of the new measure.

Main Methods:

• A multidisciplinary team developed initial items, refined through feedback from adolescents and parents.
• A 27-item questionnaire was administered to 156 adolescents (aged 13-17) with T1D via an online survey.
• Principal components analysis was used for item reduction, and psychometric properties were assessed, including internal consistency and correlations with related constructs.

Main Results:

• A 13-item unidimensional measure, the diabetes adolescent problem solving questionnaire (DAPSQ), was developed, explaining 56% of the variance.
• The DAPSQ demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.92).
• The DAPSQ was significantly correlated with diabetes self-management (r=0.53), self-efficacy (r=0.54), and glycemic control (HbA1c, r=-0.24).

Conclusions:

• The DAPSQ is a brief, reliable, and valid self-report instrument for assessing problem-solving skills in adolescents with T1D.
• The DAPSQ is clinically feasible and can inform patient education strategies.
• Scores on the DAPSQ are associated with better diabetes self-management behaviors and improved glycemic control.