Assessment of an Illness-specific Dimension of Self-esteem in Youths with Type 1 Diabetes

摘要

>Objective The initial validation of a brief assessment of a diabetes-specific self-esteem dimension in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. >Methods Youths with type 1 diabetes (n = 87) aged 10–16 years were administered the multidimensional Self-Esteem Questionnaire (SEQ) and a newly designed assessment of diabetes-specific self-esteem (DSSE). Their parents completed parallel forms. Adherence to the diabetes regimen and glycemic control were also assessed. >Results In factor analysis, DSSE items formed a distinct dimension of self-esteem in addition to the SEQ dimensions. This factor uniquely contributed to differences in youths’ global self-esteem. Significant associations with adherence and glycemic control suggested its concurrent validity. Agreement between youth- and parent-report DSSE forms supported inter-rater reliability. >Conclusions The findings provide preliminary support for recognizing the importance of a DSSE dimension in adolescents’ adjustment to diabetes, and for the reliability and validity of the proposed assessment strategy.