Psychometric properties of the German version of the Diabetes Eating Problem Survey-Revised: additional benefit of disease-specific screening in adolescents with Type 1 diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the psychometric properties of the German version of the abbreviated 16-item Diabetes Eating Problem Survey-Revised in a sample of young people with Type 1 diabetes.


METHODS
A total of 246 young people, aged 11-19 years, with Type 1 diabetes from six pediatric diabetes centres in Germany were assessed using the Diabetes Eating Problem Survey-Revised. In addition, they underwent screening with two generic tools as well as the WHO five-question well-being index. A clinician's report was also obtained.


RESULTS
The Diabetes Eating Problem Survey-Revised was found to have good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.84). The Diabetes Eating Problem Survey-Revised scores significantly correlated with those provided by the non-specific screening tools (r = 0.37, P ≤ 0.000 and r = 0.50, P ≤ 0.000 for boys and r = 0.62, P ≤ 0.000 and r = 0.79, P ≤ 0.000 for girls), indicating convergent validity. The mean (sd) total of the scores was 12.0 (9.6). Criterion validity was confirmed against HbA1c value, BMI standard deviation score and expert (clinician) report. Of the boys included in the study, 11 scored higher than the threshold score on the Diabetes Eating Problem Survey-Revised, of whom only three (27%) were classified as 'suspected to have a disordered eating behaviour' by their clinicians.


CONCLUSIONS
The Diabetes Eating Problem Survey-Revised delivered more specific information than generic screening instruments and identified more young people with eating disorders than did clinician report, especially regarding the detection of boys at risk. The results of this study support the utility of the German version of the Diabetes Eating Problem Survey-Revised to identify eating disorders in young people with Type 1 diabetes at an early stage. (German Clinical Trials Registry no.: DRKS00004699).
Hannover Medical School, Medical Psychology, Hannover, Germany.
H
H
Saßmann
Clinical Centre Augsburg, Clinic for Children and Juveniles, Bunter Kreis GmbH, Team Diabetes, Augsburg, Germany.
C
C
Albrecht
Dritter Orden Clinic Munich, Paediatric and Youth Medicine Clinic, Munich, Germany.
P
P
Busse-Widmann
Hannover Medical School, Medical Psychology, Hannover, Germany.
L K
LK
Hevelke
University of Tübingen, Children's Hospital, Department III, Tübingen, Germany.
J
J
Kranz
Joslin Diabetes Center, Pediatric, Adolescent, and Young Adult Section, Boston, MA, USA.
J T
JT
Markowitz
University Medical Centre Schleswig Holstein Lübeck, Hospital for Child and Adolescent Medicine, Lübeck, Germany.
L F
LF
Marshall
Children's Hospital Passau Dritter Orden, Social Paediatric Centre, Passau, Germany.
S
S
Meurs
Clinical Centre Nürnberg Süd, Children's Hospital, Nürnberg, Germany.
I H
IH
de Soye
Hannover Medical School, Medical Psychology, Hannover, Germany.
K
K
Lange
D000293:Adolescent; D000295:Adolescent Medicine / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D012306:Risk; D057566:Self Report; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055815:Young Adult
D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; C517652:hemoglobin A1c protein, human