Abstract
Purpose
To translate Diabetes-39 quality of life scale (D-39) into Turkish, to accomplish a cross-cultural adaptation, to demonstrate validity and reliability of Turkish version (D-39-TR).
Methods
A total of 214 patients with type 2 diabetes were included, with an average age of 52.59 ± 14.83, a female/male ratio of 51/49%. Internal consistency and test–retest reliability were assessed by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), respectively. For structural validity, factor analysis was used. The SF-36 was used for convergent validity, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was used for differential validity.
Results
The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was over 0.70 for all subscales of D-39-TR and it was 0.93 for whole D-39-TR. No problematic items were detected in the scale. The ICC for test–retest reliability was 0.91 (95% CI 0.91–0.94). The test–retest consistency for the total score was r = 0.94, p < 0.001. D-39-TR was explained by five factors. The ratio of explaining the total variance of these 5 factors was determined as 53.97%. SF-36 (r=−0.48, p < 0.001) and HbA1c values (r = 0.31, p < 0.001) were moderately correlated with total score of D-39-TR. A significant difference was found between QoL values of patients with poor and good glycemic control (p < 0.001).
Conclusion
Turkish version of D-39 is a reliable and valid scale for measuring QoL in patients with type 2 diabetes.
The Turkish version of the Diabetes-39 (D-39) is a valid and reliable questionnaire and can be used in patients with type 2 diabetes.
The Turkish version of the D-39 offers a useful tool for better identifying quality of life of patients with type 2 diabetes who are at risk for adverse outcomes.
The Turkish version of the D-39 can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of attempts to increase quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes.
IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION
Ethical approval
Our study was conducted in accordance with the Helsinki declaration. Permission has been obtained from J. Gregory Boyer, developer of the questionnaire, for the Turkish translation of D-39. The compliance of the study with the ethical principles was approved by the Cyprus Science University Ethics Committee.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).