Validation of a self-report version of the diabetes self-management profile

Inadequate treatment adherence impedes achievement of glycemic control targets in type 1 diabetes (T1D). Valid and reliable measurement of treatment adherence is a prerequisite to rigorous evaluation of pertinent interventions. The diabetes self-management profile (DSMP), a structured interview measure of T1D adherence, is valid and reliable but it requires trained interviewers, it is labor intensive to administer and it is burdensome for research participants. We adapted the DSMP interview to create the DSMP-self-report questionnaire (DSMP-SR) for completion by parents and youth ≥11 yr old. The DSMP-SR was obtained during a cross-sectional study of 151 youth within the age range of 8 to <18 yr with T1D [male, 50.7%; racial minorities, 23%; mean age, 13.9 yr; T1D duration, 5.5 yr; hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), 8.7%] and a parent of each. Parents and youth ≥11 yr old completed the DSMP-SR independently. The DSMP-SR had sound internal consistency (Cronbach's α: youth, 0.82; parent, 0.80), and parent-youth agreement, (r = 0.60, p < 0.001) and significant associations with HbA1c (r = -0.35 for youth and -0.46 for parents, p < 0.001), PedsQL quality of life scale (youth: r = -0.41, p < 0.001; parent: r = -0.40, p < 0.001) and, for parents but not youth, the Revised Diabetes Family Conflict Scale (r = -0.47, p < 0.001). Higher DSMP-SR scores were associated with lower HbA1c, better quality of life, and less family conflict. The DSMP-SR has similar psychometric properties to those reported elsewhere for the DSMP, yielding a convenient measure of T1D adherence.