Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2011 Apr;41(4):715-27.
doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2010.06.018. Epub 2011 Jan 28.

The Diabetes Symptom Self-Care Inventory: development and psychometric testing with Mexican Americans

Alexandra A García  1
Affiliations

The Diabetes Symptom Self-Care Inventory: development and psychometric testing with Mexican Americans

Alexandra A García. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2011 Apr.

Abstract

Context: Type 2 diabetes is prevalent throughout the world. In previous studies of Mexican Americans with type 2 diabetes, 95%-97% of those sampled reported having symptoms they believe were caused by diabetes and most self-treated their symptoms. To more accurately capture Mexican Americans' symptom prevalence and their self-treatments, the Diabetes Symptom Self-Care Inventory (DSSCI) was adapted from the Diabetes Self-Care Instrument.

Objectives: This article describes the modification process used to perfect the DSSCI for use in improving self-care among people with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: This instrumentation study used qualitative and quantitative methods. The study was completed in four phases that used focus groups, cognitive interviews, and survey administration. Four convenience samples were drawn from community-dwelling Mexican American adults, aged 25-75 years, with type 2 diabetes in an urban area and a rural location in Texas.

Results: Phase I: Seven focus groups (n=45) generated data for revising items. Phase II: Cognitive interviews with 16 participants were used to evaluate four revisions of the questionnaire. Phase III: Surveys were administered to 81 participants. Total number of symptoms on the DSSCI correlated with scores on the Centers for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale (r=0.65, P<0.001), Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised Diabetes Symptom subscale (r=0.57, P<0.001), and Audit of Diabetes-Dependent Quality of Life scale (r=-0.42, P<0.001). Minor revisions followed. Phase IV: Test-retest stability was demonstrated (n=44).

Conclusion: The DSSCI is a culturally relevant, sound measure of Mexican Americans' diabetes symptoms and the actions they take to address them.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. CDC: national diabetes fact sheet [Internet] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Atlanta: 2007. [2008 July 7]. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/pdf/ndfs_2007.pdf.
    1. WHO: fact sheet no. 312 – diabetes [Internet] World Health Organization; Nov2009. [2010 Feb 7]. Available from: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs312/en/
    1. Bastida E, Cuéllar I, Villas P. Prevalence of diabetes mellitus and related conditions in a South Texas Mexican American sample. J Community Health Nurs. 2001;18:75–84. - PubMed
    1. Zuvekas SH, Taliaferro GS. Pathways to access: health insurance, the health care delivery system, and racial/ethnic disparities. Health Aff. 2003;22:139–153. - PubMed
    1. ADA: diabetes symptoms [Internet] American Diabetes Association; [2008 May 5]. no date. Available from http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-symptoms.jsp.

Publication types