Diabetes Score questionnaire for lifestyle change in patients with type 2 diabetes

Abstract

Background. Designed for use in clinical settings, the Diabetes Score is a 10-item, one-page questionnaire for discussing lifestyle change. We aimed to evaluate the Diabetes Score questionnaire for its validity and acceptability among individuals with type 2 diabetes. Methods. An observational study was conducted using interviewer-administered questionnaires to adult patients with type 2 diabetes at three ambulatory clinics. We used the Diabetes Score questionnaire for measuring adherence to diet, exercise and other lifestyle recommendations. The questionnaire yields an intuitive score ranging from 0 to 100, by addition of each of the 10 items which are rated as 0, 5 or 10 by the patient. A score of more than 60 was considered satisfactory. results. A total of 311 patients, 56% females, with a median age of 55 years (range: 23 to 87) participated in the study. Diabetes Score correlated with glycemic control, hbA1c (r = –0.20) and blood glucose (r = –0.25; P < 0.001), indicating validity. reliability was demonstrated by internal consistency (alpha .577) and discriminant factor analysis. Based on multivariate modeling, an improvement of 30 points on the Diabetes Score corresponded to a drop in hbA1c by 1.0%-unit (11 mmol/mol). Conclusion. Diabetes Score is a valid and reliable tool for empowering lifestyle and behavior modification among patients with diabetes mellitus. This brief and free-to-use questionnaire has the potential to be used in diabetes clinics to discuss behavior change. It can serve as the first-line intervention in diabetes patients while reducing the cost of diabetes care.