title: Validation of the Diabetes Family Impact Scale: a new measure of diabetes-specific family impact.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop and validate the Diabetes Family Impact Scale, a scale to measure the impact of diabetes on families.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Diabetes Family Impact Scale was developed by an iterative process, with input from multidisciplinary diabetes providers and parents of children with Type 1 diabetes. The psychometric properties of the Diabetes Family Impact Scale were assessed in parents of children with Type 1 diabetes. This assessment included internal consistency, convergent validity and exploratory factor analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Parents (n = 148) of children (mean ± sd age 12.9 ± 3.3 years) with Type 1 diabetes (mean ± sd duration 6.2 ± 3.6 years) completed the 15-item Diabetes Family Impact Scale. After eliminating one item, the 14-item measure demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's α  =  0.84). Correlations between the Diabetes Family Impact Scale and measures of parent diabetes burden (r = 0.48, P < 0.0001), stressful life events (r = 0.28, P = 0.0007), and child's quality of life (r = -0.52 and -0.54, P < 0.0001 for generic and diabetes-specific quality of life, respectively) supported the convergent validity of the instrument. Factor analysis identified four factors corresponding to the four survey domains (school, work, finances and family well-being).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Diabetes Family Impact Scale measures diabetes-specific family impacts with good internal consistency and convergent validity and may be a useful tool in clinical and research settings.
authors: Genetics and Epidemiology Section, Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, MA, USA.|Pediatric, Adolescent and Young Adult Section, Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: M L
authors: ML
authors: Katz
authors: Genetics and Epidemiology Section, Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: L K
authors: LK
authors: Volkening
authors: Genetics and Epidemiology Section, Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: C E
authors: CE
authors: Dougher
authors: Genetics and Epidemiology Section, Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, MA, USA.|Pediatric, Adolescent and Young Adult Section, Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: L M B
authors: LM
authors: Laffel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000523:psychology*; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*
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