Development and validation of the diabetes adolescent problem solving questionnaire

Objective: Problem solving is a critical diabetes self-management skill. Because of a lack of clinically feasible measures, our aim was to develop and validate a self-report self-management problem solving questionnaire for adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Methods: A multidisciplinary team of diabetes experts generated questionnaire items that addressed diabetes self-management problem solving. Iterative feedback from parents and adolescents resulted in 27 items. Adolescents from two studies (N= 156) aged 13-17 were recruited through a pediatric diabetes clinic and completed measures through an online survey. Glycemic control was measured by HbAl c recorded in the medical record. Results:. Empirical elimination of items using principal components analyses resulted in a 13-item unidimensional measure, the diabetes adolescent problem solving questionnaire (DAPSQ) that explained 56% of the variance. The DAPSQ demonstrated internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.92) and was correlated with diabetes self-management (r = 0.53, p <. 001), self-efficacy (r = 0.54, p <. 001), and glycemic control (r = -0.24, p <. 01). Conclusion: The DAPSQ is a brief instrument for assessment of diabetes self-management problem solving in youth with T1D and is associated with better self-management behaviors and glycemic control. Practice implications: The DAPSQ is a clinically feasible self-report measure that can provide valuable information regarding level of self-management problem solving and guide patient education. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.