Development and validation of a type 1 diabetes self-management scale for children.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to develop a type 1 diabetes mellitus self-management scale for children and to assess its psychometric properties.

METHODS

A methodological, descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional study was conducted. The research sample comprised 212 children with diabetes aged 7-12 years. Content validity was evaluated by seven experts in pediatric endocrinology, pediatric nursing, public health nursing, and Turkish language. Descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's omega, split-half reliability, and factor analyses were used.

RESULTS

The Cronbach's alpha for the overall scale was 0.893, and for the subscales, it ranged from 0.757 to 0.845. The item-total score correlations ranged from 0.408 to 0.660. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a four-factor structure that explained 57.730% of the total variance, with item loadings ranging from 0.380 to 0.863. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the four-factor structure, with factor loadings ranging from 0.52 to 0.87 and acceptable fit indices: χ2/df=1.461, goodness-of-fit index=0.901, comparative fit index=0.939, incremental fit index=0.941, Tucker-Lewis index=0.926, and root mean square error of approximation=0.066.

CONCLUSION

The validity and reliability analyses revealed that the scale is a valid and reliable measure in Turkish culture.