Validation of the Diabetic Foot Ulcer Scale for Portuguese Patients

To validate the Diabetic Foot Ulcer Scale (DFS-SF) in a sample of Portuguese patients diagnosed with chronic diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs).

The sample included 163 participants who completed the DFS-SF, the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Construct validity was tested using confirmatory factor analysis. Reliability was evaluated through Cronbach α composite reliability (CR). Convergent validity was tested using Pearson correlations and average variance extracted (AVE).

The Portuguese version retains 26 of the original 29 items and introduced one additional subscale, whereas the remaining subscales mirror the original dimensional structure. Reliability for the total scale was excellent (α=0.93; CR=0.97), with subscales values ranging from acceptable to very good, (α and CR=0.69 to 0.90). Significant correlations with SF-36 (r=0.32 to 0.71), and HADS (r=-0.21 to -0.69), alongside AVE coefficients (0.36 to 0.82), supported the construct validity of the Portuguese version.

Although further studies are needed, the Portuguese DFS-SF is a reliable and valid tool for assessing quality of life in patients with DFU in both research and clinical settings.