Turkish validity and reliability of Type-1 Diabetes Stigma Assessment Scale

The objective of the study was to carry out validity and reliability of Type 1 Diabetes Stigma Assessment Scale (DSAS-1) in Turkish.

The methodological study was conducted between December 2017 and May 2019, with 147 patients with Type 1 diabetes who applied to the Endocrinology, Internal Medicine policlinics of a Training and Research Hospital. The data were collected with the Introductory Information Form and DSAS-1. SPSS-22 and Mplus Version-7.4 were used for data analysis. Validity (group-back translation method, Polit and Beck technique, factor analysis, and known-group comparison and pilot study) and reliability (test-retest reliability, Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient, and item-total correlation) analyses were used.

It was found that 94.7% of the content validity index of the items of the DSAS-1 was 0.80 or above; the scale can factorable (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin=0.86) and it was determined that the scale was able to separate known groups; the scale confirmed the 3-factor structure according to confirmatory factor analysis; the factor loads varied between 0.34 and 0.87 and their level was suitable according to fit index criteria (CFI=0.90, TLI=0.89, RMSEA=0.069, SRMR=0.065, Chi-square/df=1.706); the test-retest reliability value (r) was above 0.82; Cronbach's alpha coefficient of Turkish DSAS-1 was 0.89; and Cronbach's alpha coefficient of subscales was, respectively, to be 0.81, 0.80, and 0.81.

It was found that the DSAS-1 has validity and reliability in Turkish and is a suitable measurement tool to evaluate the stigma by the individuals with a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes in Turkiye.