Development and validation of a questionnaire to assess carbohydrate and insulin-dosing knowledge in youth with type 1 diabetes.
OBJECTIVE The American Diabetes Association advocates insulin regimens for youth with type 1 diabetes that involve adjusting insulin dose based on carbohydrate intake and blood glucose level. Implementing these regimens requires knowledge about carbohydrate content of foods and subsequent calculations of insulin dose, skills that may be difficult to gauge in practice. Therefore, we sought to develop and validate a questionnaire, the PedCarbQuiz (PCQ), to assess carbohydrate and insulin-dosing knowledge in youth with type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS After development by an expert panel, the PCQ was administered to 75 youth with type 1 diabetes or their parents. Reliability was assessed by Cronbach alpha and split-half testing. To assess validity, scores were correlated with A1C, expert assessments, parent educational level, and complexity of insulin regimen. RESULTS PCQ mean score was 87 +/- 9.7% (range 42-98%). Cronbach alpha was 0.88, and correlation of split halves was 0.59 (P < 0.0001). Higher PCQ scores correlated significantly with lower A1C (r = -0.29, P = 0.01) and expert assessments (r = 0.56, P < 0.001). Scores were significantly higher in parents with college degrees than in those without (P = 0.01) and in participants with more complex insulin regimens (P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS The PCQ is a novel, easily administered instrument to assess knowledge about carbohydrates and insulin dosing calculations. Initial analyses support the reliability and validity of the PCQ.
Koontz
Michaela B
MB
Department of Pediatrics, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. michaela.koontz@uhhospitals.org
Cuttler
Leona
L
Palmert
Mark R
MR
O'Riordan
Maryann
M
Borawski
Elaine A
EA
McConnell
Judy
J
Kern
Elizabeth O
EO
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019359:Knowledge; D008297:Male; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012648:Self Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D007328:Insulin