Sweden validates new tool to measure quality of life in young diabetics
Swedish researchers have adapted and tested a 38-item questionnaire designed to assess how type 1 diabetes affects teenagers' daily lives, emotional wellbeing, and social relationships. The validated tool could help healthcare systems better track patient outcomes and identify struggling adolescents earlier, potentially improving treatment adherence and long-term health outcomes.
Originaltitel: Linguistical and psychometric validation of the MIND Youth Questionnaire (My-Q) in Swedish.
Karolinska Institutet validerar svensk version av My-Q, ett flerdomäners livskvalitetsinstrument för ungdomar med typ 1-diabetes. Instrumentet mäter nio faktorer: social påverkan, föräldrarelation, diabeteskontroll, ansvar, oro, behandlingstillfredsställelse, kroppsuppfattning, matbeteende, stigma och sinnesstämning. 166 ungdomar (10–19 år) genomförde My-Q tillsammans med referensinstrumentet Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory. Bekräftande faktoranalys visade tillfredsställande modellpassning (CFI = 0,90, RMSEA = 0,05). Total reliabilitet var god (α = 0,86, Ω = 0,90). Negativ korrelation identifierades mellan HbA1c-nivå och My-Q-poäng (r = –0,258), vilket validerar instrumentets kliniska relevans. Ungdomar rapporterade bättre livskvalitet vid yngre ålder gällande kroppsuppfattning. Instrumentet möjliggör standardiserad mätning av psykosocial påverkan inom svensk diabetesvård och kan underlätta patientcentrerad uppföljning och interventionsutvärdering.
BACKGROUND: The Mind Youth Questionnaire is a multidimensional health-related quality-of-life questionnaire designed for pediatric diabetes care and exists in Dutch, English, and Spanish. METHODS: The aim of this study was to linguistically and psychometrically validate the Mind Youth Questionnaire (My-Q) for Swedish-speaking youths with type 1 diabetes. The linguistic process of the Dutch version followed ISPOR´s guidelines. For face validity, youths with type 1 diabetes and diabetes nurses were interviewed. Three stigma items were included. The final Swedish My-Q consists of 38 items. A total of 166 youths (10-19 years) completed the My-Q and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory diabetes module. A 2nd -order confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using the nine-factor Dutch and five-factor Spanish versions. RESULTS: The 2nd -order nine-factor solution (social impact, parents, diabetes control perceptions, responsibilities, worries, treatment satisfaction, body image and eating behavior, stigma, and mood) showed adequate fit: χ2(551) = 828.36 (p < .01), Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.90, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.05 [0.05,0.06], Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR) = 0.08. The nine-factor solution and grouping of the items followed a clear rationale. The reliability coefficients of the total scale were adequate, α = 0.86, Ω = 0.90, and Ω for all the factors ranged from 0.49 to 0.88. The relationships between My-Q factors and sociodemographic variables revealed that boys had better health-related quality of life than girls. Younger youths reported better health-related quality of life in terms of body image and eating behavior (p=.005). Concurrent validity was confirmed, as all the factors were positively related to all the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory diabetes module factors. A negative correlation was found between the level of glycated hemoglobin and the My-Q score (r=-.258, p < .001). CONCLUSION: The Swedish My-Q has adequate psychometric properties and can be used in research and for routine psychosocial assessment.