Development and validation of a scale to measure diabetes burnout.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

The aim of this study is to establish reliability and validity of the Diabetes Burnout Scale (DBS) among adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Methods

We used a multi-stage, mixed methods approach to developing the DBS. First, the research team identified twenty-eight candidate items through a review of the literature and 117 qualitative narratives from adults living with T1D. Next, items were revised based on the expert (n = 20) and individual with T1D (n = 10) feedback. The resulting 18-item DBS measure along with validated measures of diabetes distress, depressive symptoms, and questions related to diabetes outcomes (i.e., last reported hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c] and Time-in-Range [TiR]) were completed by 1099 adults with T1D across the U.S. The sample was randomly divided into two subsets (n1 = 561, n2 = 538) for exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA/CFA) to determine the underlying structure of the DBS. Regression analyses examined the relationships of the DBS with self-reported glycemic control and socio-demographic characteristics.

Results

Based on the EFA three factors are identified and the DBS demonstrated strong internal consistency with Cronbach alphas (?0.80). The validation and confirmatory analysis for the structure of the DBS provided consistent results with EFA. Higher burnout (overall DBS) was positively associated with diabetes distress (b = 0.74; p < 0.01) and depressive symptoms (b = 0.61; p < 0.01). Overall DBS, however was the strongest predictor for poorer HbA1c (r2 = 0.19; p < 0.01) and lower TiR (r2 = 0.17; p < 0.01) compared to diabetes distress and depressive symptoms.

Conclusion

The 12-item DBS is a reliable and valid scale to measure diabetes burnout in adults with diabetes. The results provide a weak to strong degree of association between the validated DBS scale, T1-DDS and PHQ-8. The DBS can contribute to advancement of diabetes science by measuring diabetes burnout and informing clinical interventions to improve psychosocial care in individuals with diabetes.

SUBMITTER: Abdoli S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7898165 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature