[Translation, Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Diabetes Burnout Scale to European Portuguese]

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with negative psychological conditions, specifically burnout, in cases where there is less glycemic control and longer illness time. The aim of this study was to adapt and validate the Diabetes Burnout Scale [DBS, Escala do Burnout na Diabetes (EBD)] into European Portuguese, as an evaluation measure tailored to the Portuguese context.

The scale was translated, retranslated and adapted. This study resorted to online and in-person collection of a convenience sample of people with DM. Reliability tests and convergent validation tests were performed, using the EQ-5D-5L and Problem Areas in Diabetes Scale 5 (PAID-5) as reference. Factor structure was evaluated using fit and invariance tests. Associations between the total score of the scale and variables like the respondents' most recent glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and socioeconomic index were analyzed.

A total of 1070 people with DM participated, 50.6% male and 49.3% female, with an average age of 56.0 ± 15.7 years and an average time since diagnosis of 20 ± 12.3 years. A three-factor structure was ascertained with a good fit: exhaustion, detachment and loss of control - invariant by sex and DM type. The internal consistency, as given by Cronbach's Alpha, was 0.885. Spearman's correlation showed the relation between EBD total score and EQ-5D-5L utility index (ρ = -0.382, p < 0.001), PAID-5 total score (ρ = 0.638, p < 0.001), and most recent HbA1c (ρ = 0.295, p < 0.001).

The EBD scale was successfully adapted and validated for European Portuguese.