Wayne K. Davis

The Reliability and Validity of a Brief Diabetes Knowledge Test

OBJECTIVE To examine the reliability and validity of a brief diabetes knowledge test. The diabetes knowledge test has two components: a 14-item general test and a 9-item insulin-use subscale. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Two populations completed the test. In one population, patients received diabetes care in their community from avariety of providers, while the other population received care from local health departments. Cronbachs coefficient a was used to calculate scale reliability for each sample. To determine validity, patient group differences were examined. It was hypothesized that test scores would be higher for patients with type 1 diabetes, for patients with more education, and for patients who had received diabetes education. RESULTS The coefficient as for the general test and the insulin-use subscale indicate that both are reliable, α ≥ 0.70. In the community sample, patients with type 1 diabetes scored higher than patients with type 2 diabetes on the general test and the insulin-use subscale. In the health department sample, patients with type 1 scored higher than patients with type 2 on the insulin-use subscale. For both samples, scores increased as the years of formal education completed increased, and patients who received diabetes education scored higher than patients who did not. CONCLUSIONS Although the samples differed demographically, the reliability and validity of the test were supported in both the community andthe health department samples. This suggests that the test is appropriate for a variety of settings and patient populations.

Development and Validation of the Diabetes Care Profile

To determine the reliability and the validity of the Diabetes Care Profile (DCP), an instrument that assesses the social and psychological factors related to diabetes and its treatment, two studies with separate populations and methodologies were conducted In the first study, the DCP was administered to, and physiologic measures collected from, individuals with diabetes being cared for in a community setting (n = 440). In the second study, the DCP and several previously validated scales were administered to individuals with diabetes receiving care at a university medical center (n = 352). Cronbachs alphas of individual DCP scales ranged from .60 to .95 (Study 1) and from .66 to .94 (Study 2). Glycohemoglobin levels correlated with three DCP scales (Study 1). Several DCP scales discriminated among patients with different levels of disease severity. The results of the studies indicate that the DCP is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring the psychosocial factors related to diabetes and its treatment.

A Comparison of Global Versus Disease-Specific Quality-of-Life Measures in Patients With NIDDM

OBJECTIVE This study was conducted to compare the Short Form 36 (SF-36) (a global measure of health-related quality of life) and the Diabetes Care Profile (DCP) (a diabetes-specific measure of self-care and diabetes-related quality of life) in patients with NIDDM. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This study was conducted as part of a larger study initiated in 1991 using a randomly selected sample of communities, physicians, and patients with diabetes located throughout Michigan. A total of 255 patients with NIDDM participated. The study examined the relationship between the two measures and diabetes variables, such as glycosylated hemoglobin level and number of complications. RESULTS The SF-36 and the DCP have both common and discrete measurement domains. Both instruments have acceptable subscale reliability. The DCP has predictive validity regarding glycemic control, whereas the SF-36 does not. Both measures correlate with the number of complications for patients who have NIDDM treated with insulin. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that for examining relationships within diabetes, e.g., the impact of acute complications and/or regimen on quality of life, the DCP is the appropriate measure. Conversely, when examining relationships between the patients experience of living with diabetes and quality of life and other chronic diseases, the SF-36 would be an appropriate measure. Both instruments can be used to illuminate the experience and behavior of patients living with and caring for NIDDM.

Learning to Empower Patients: Results of Professional Education Program for Diabetes Educators

The patient empowerment approach to diabetes education is intended to enable patients to make informed decisions about their own diabetes care and to be fully responsible members of the health-care team. Facilitating patient empowerment requires a specific set of skills and attitudes on the part of diabetes educators. A professional education program designed to facilitate the acquisition and enhancement of the requisite skills and attitudes was designed, implemented, and evaluated. The program involved adhering to a simulated diabetes care regimen for 3 days followed by a 3-day intensive skills-based workshop. The 23 educators who participated in the first two offerings of this program made significant gains in their counseling skills and demonstrated a positive change in attitude.

Impact of Social Support, Social Cognitive Variables, and Perceived Threat on Depression Among Adults With Diabetes

Tested was a model of social support and cognitive appraisal of self-efficacy, outcome expectancies, and illness threat on depression. Study participants were community-dwelling adults with diabetes who completed a mailed questionnaire (N = 362). Results of structural equation modeling indicated that 52% of the variance in depression was explained by the model--largely by the direct effects of physical functioning, the perceived availability of social support, and the perceived threat of diabetes as well as the indirect paths from perceived support to perceived threat and from physical functioning to perceived support and perceived threat of diabetes. Diabetes-specific social support, self-efficacy, and outcome expectancies were not significant predictors of depression.

Community Diabetes Care: A 10-year Perspective

OBJECTIVE To compare diabetes care and education at the community level in 1981 and 1991 in order to record progress achieved in the decade of the 1980s, determine if there is a gap that must be closed to reach diabetes-related objectives for 2000, and establish a baseline to which changes stimulated by the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial can be compared. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In eight Michigan communities, representative primary-care physicians (61 in 1981; 68 in 1991) and their diabetic patients (428 and 440) were identified. Communities, physicians, and patients were randomly selected. Participating patients were interviewed and examined in their community or home to assess the kind and extent of diabetes care they had been receiving; their metabolic, nutritional, educational, and psychosocial status; their diabetic history and current status; and other related factors. The diabetic status, care, and education of the 1981 community patients were compared with those of patients studied in 1991. RESULTS Positive changes in diabetes care and education at the community level from 1981 to 1991 were seen in the areas of patient glucose monitoring, insulin administration practices, hypertension control, exercise recommendations in diabetic management; and smoking rates. Negative changes occurred in the percentage of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients receiving diabetes education and frequency of office visits to the patients primary-care physician. Changes of indeterminate value included a sharp decline in primary diabetes admissions to the hospital and a decrease in the proportion of NIDDM patients managed with insulin. Many other hoped-for changes from 1981 status, such as screening for retinopathy, foot-care practices, and overall metabolic control of diabetes, did not occur. CONCLUSIONS The decade of the 1980s produced modest, but not impressive, improvements in diabetes care and education at the community level. Progress must be accelerated if the diabetes-related objectives included in the national targets for health promotion and disease prevention for 2000 are to be met.

Psychosocial Correlates of Survival in Diabetes

The goal of this research was to quantify therelationships between patient survival and a set of explanatory variables in a randomly selected sample of community-based patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). The sample included 343 patients with NIDDM initially entered into the study in 1981–1982 and reexamined in 1985–1986. Mortality data were collected on reexamination in 1985 and updated from death-certificate data through 1 January 1986. The data collected from the patients included demographic and clinical variables, psychosocial variables related to diabetes, measures of physiologic control, hospitalization, and mortality. The Cox proportionalhazards model was used to compute a hazard rate for each individual and to determine risk covariates. The results indicated that the variables most associated with the risk of mortality were patient age, social impact of diabetes, renal function, complexity of diet regimen, and history of smoking. Two of these variables (social impact and complexity of diet regimen) were obtained from the Diabetes Educational Profile completed by all patients on entry to the study. The five predictor variables were more closely related to mortality than diabetes control as measured by HbA1, previous hospital admissions, previous heart attacks, and other physiologic measures frequently used as outcome measures. The only physiologic predictor was renal function.

Evaluating the Costs and Benefits of Outpatient Diabetes Education and Nutrition Counseling

The Board of Directors of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) recently endorsed a resolution recommending third-party payment for outpatient education and nutritional counseling. One of the major rationales for the statement was that education and nutritional counseling will lead to reductions in health care costs. This article critically reviews the 13 studies cited in support of the ADA Policy Statement. Among these studies, only 2 compared a treated group with a control group. Both of the studies with control groups failed to randomly assign patients to treatment condition. Only 4 of the studies showed an accounting of program costs. Upon close inspection, it appears that some of the programs actually increased, rather than decreased, health care expenditures. Attrition from programs was reported in only a minority of cases, and was large when reported. The effect of the programs upon diabetes control was inconsistent across studies. It is suggested that the rationale for education and nutritional services be based on improved health status. In addition, the execution of a systematic experimental study to evaluate these services is urged.

Gender Differences in Diabetes Attitudes and Adherence

This study focused on three questions: Is there a difference in mens and womens diabetes attitudes? Do health professionals give different recommendations to men and women? Is there a difference between men and women in care adherence? A total of 1201 patients with diabetes were surveyed; 65% of these patients were women. Differences in diabetes attitudes (three of seven attiticdes) were most evident between men and women with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). No differences were found in the attitudes of men and women with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) using insulin, and only one attitude was different for patients with NIDDM not using insulin. Few differences were observed in the recommendations given by health professionals to men and women. Gender differences in adherence to the components of self-care also were minimal. These findings may indicate that there are many similarities in the reactions of men and women who have been diagnosed with diabetes.

The Reliability of the Diabetes Care Profile for African Americans

The Diabetes Care Profile (DCP) is an instrument used to assess social and psychological factors related to diabetes and its treatment. The reliability of the DCP was established in populations consisting primarily of Caucasians with type 2 diabetes. This study tests whether the DCP is a reliable instrument for African Americans with type 2 diabetes. Both African American (n = 511) and Caucasian (n = 235) patients with type 2 diabetes were recruited at six sites located in the metropolitan Detroit area. Scale reliability was calculated by Cronbachs coefficient alpha. The scale reliabilities ranged from .70 to .97 for African Americans. These reliabilities were similar to those of Caucasians, whose scale reliabilities rangedfrom .68 to .96. The Feldt test was used to determine differences between the reliabilities of the two patient populations. No significant differences were found. The DCP is a reliable survey instrument for African American and Caucasion patients with type 2 diabetes.