Linguistical and psychometric validation of the MIND Youth Questionnaire (My-Q) in Swedish.

BACKGROUND

The Mind Youth Questionnaire is a multidimensional health-related quality-of-life questionnaire designed for pediatric diabetes care and exists in Dutch, English, and Spanish.

METHODS

The aim of this study was to linguistically and psychometrically validate the Mind Youth Questionnaire (My-Q) for Swedish-speaking youths with type 1 diabetes. The linguistic process of the Dutch version followed ISPOR´s guidelines. For face validity, youths with type 1 diabetes and diabetes nurses were interviewed. Three stigma items were included. The final Swedish My-Q consists of 38 items. A total of 166 youths (10-19 years) completed the My-Q and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory diabetes module. A 2nd -order confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using the nine-factor Dutch and five-factor Spanish versions.

RESULTS

The 2nd -order nine-factor solution (social impact, parents, diabetes control perceptions, responsibilities, worries, treatment satisfaction, body image and eating behavior, stigma, and mood) showed adequate fit: χ2(551) = 828.36 (p < .01), Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.90, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.05 [0.05,0.06], Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR) = 0.08. The nine-factor solution and grouping of the items followed a clear rationale. The reliability coefficients of the total scale were adequate, α = 0.86, Ω = 0.90, and Ω for all the factors ranged from 0.49 to 0.88. The relationships between My-Q factors and sociodemographic variables revealed that boys had better health-related quality of life than girls. Younger youths reported better health-related quality of life in terms of body image and eating behavior (p=.005). Concurrent validity was confirmed, as all the factors were positively related to all the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory diabetes module factors. A negative correlation was found between the level of glycated hemoglobin and the My-Q score (r=-.258, p < .001).

CONCLUSION

The Swedish My-Q has adequate psychometric properties and can be used in research and for routine psychosocial assessment.