Assessing daily problems with diabetes: a subject-oriented approach to compliance

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Endocrinology
• Health Psychology

Background:

• Diabetes mellitus (DM) presents significant psychosocial challenges impacting daily living and treatment adherence.
• Effective management requires understanding patient-reported stress factors.
• Existing tools may not fully capture the nuances of diabetic stress.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the reliability, construct validity, and discriminant validity of the Questionnaire on Stress in Diabetic Patients (QSDP).
• To establish the QSDP as a dependable measure for assessing psychosocial stress in individuals with diabetes.
• To identify psychosocial factors that may impede patient compliance with diabetes treatment regimens.

Main Methods:

• A sample of 617 patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) participated.
• The 90-item Questionnaire on Stress in Diabetic Patients (QSDP) was administered.
• Psychometric properties including Cronbach's alpha for reliability were calculated.

Main Results:

• Cronbach's alpha values for the QSDP subscales ranged from 0.63 to 0.88, indicating good internal consistency.
• Initial analyses supported the construct validity and discriminant validity of the instrument.
• The QSDP demonstrated potential in identifying stress-related barriers to diabetes care.

Conclusions:

• The Questionnaire on Stress in Diabetic Patients (QSDP) is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing psychosocial stress in diabetic populations.
• The QSDP can aid clinicians in identifying psychosocial factors that hinder treatment compliance.
• Further research is warranted to fully establish the QSDP's utility in clinical practice and research.