title: Characterizing problematic hypoglycaemia: iterative design and preliminary psychometric validation of the Hypoglycaemia Awareness Questionnaire (HypoA-Q).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To design and conduct preliminary validation of a measure of hypoglycaemia awareness and problematic hypoglycaemia, the Hypoglycaemia Awareness Questionnaire.
  
  
  METHODS
  Exploratory and cognitive debriefing interviews were conducted with 17 adults (nine of whom were women) with Type 1 diabetes (mean ± sd age 48 ± 10 years). Questionnaire items were modified in consultation with diabetologists/psychologists. Psychometric validation was undertaken using data from 120 adults (53 women) with Type 1 diabetes (mean ± sd age 44 ± 16 years; 50% with clinically diagnosed impaired awareness of hypoglycaemia), who completed the following questionnaires: the Hypoglycaemia Awareness Questionnaire, the Gold score, the Clarke questionnaire and the Problem Areas in Diabetes questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Iterative design resulted in 33 items eliciting responses about awareness of hypoglycaemia when awake/asleep and hypoglycaemia frequency, severity and impact (healthcare utilization). Psychometric analysis identified three subscales reflecting 'impaired awareness', 'symptom level' and 'symptom frequency'. Convergent validity was indicated by strong correlations between the 'impaired awareness' subscale and existing measures of awareness: (Gold: rs =0.75, P < 0.01; Clarke: rs =0.76, P < 0.01). Divergent validity was indicated by weaker correlations with diabetes-related distress (Problem Areas in Diabetes: rs =0.25, P < 0.01) and HbA1c (rs =-0.05, non-significant). The 'impaired awareness' subscale and other items discriminated between those with impaired and intact awareness (Gold score). The 'impaired awareness' subscale and other items contributed significantly to models explaining the occurrence of severe hypoglycaemia and hypoglycaemia when asleep.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This preliminary validation shows the Hypoglycaemia Awareness Questionnaire has robust face and content validity; satisfactory structure; internal reliability; convergent, divergent and known groups validity. The impaired awareness subscale and other items contribute significantly to models explaining recall of severe and nocturnal hypoglycaemia. Prospective validation, including determination of a threshold to identify impaired awareness, is now warranted.
authors.affiliation: AHP Research, Hornchurch, UK.|The Australian Centre for Behavioural Research in Diabetes, Diabetes, Victoria, Melbourne, Australia.|School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, Australia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Speight
authors.affiliation: AHP Research, Hornchurch, UK.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Barendse
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, Division of Behavioral Health and Technology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cellular Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Little
authors.affiliation: Department of Diabetes, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Inkster
authors.affiliation: Department of Diabetes, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Frier
authors.affiliation: Academic Unit of Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism, University of Sheffield, UK.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Heller
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology and Diabetes Research Group, Institute of Human Development, Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, University of Manchester, UK.|Manchester Diabetes Centre, Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Rutter
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cellular Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK.
authors.forename: J A M
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Shaw
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001364:Awareness; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires