Evaluating the reliability, validity and minimally important difference of the Taiwanese version of the diabetes quality of life (DQOL) measurement
2008

Evaluating the Taiwanese Diabetes Quality of Life Measurement

Sample size: 337 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Huang I-Chan, Liu Jung-Hua, Wu Albert W, Wu Ming-Yen, Leite Walter, Hwang Chyng-Chuang

Primary Institution: Department of Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, College of Medicine, University of Florida

Hypothesis

We tested the psychometric properties of a Diabetes Quality of Life (DQOL) in Chinese language for diabetes patients in Taiwan and estimated its minimally important differences (MIDs).

Conclusion

We validated a DQOL in Chinese language for diabetes patients in Taiwan and provided MIDs to facilitate the measure of diabetes HRQOL.

Supporting Evidence

  • The DQOL scores were more strongly correlated with physical domains of the D-39S than psychological domains.
  • MIDs for the DQOL domains were established to facilitate interpretation of HRQOL scores.
  • The study used a combined anchor- and distribution-based approach to establish MIDs.

Takeaway

This study created a questionnaire to help understand how diabetes affects people's lives in Taiwan, making it easier for doctors to see how well their patients are doing.

Methodology

Data were collected from 337 patients treated in diabetes clinics of a Taiwan teaching hospital using face-to-face interviews and various psychometric analyses.

Limitations

The study's results may not be generalizable as samples were collected from a single center in Taiwan, and the psychometric properties are largely based on type-2 diabetes.

Participant Demographics

Mean age was 61.6 years, 51% were male, and the majority were treated with lifestyle modification or lifestyle modification plus oral agent.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1477-7525-6-87

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