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      Psychometric Properties of the Hypoglycemia Fear Survey-II for Adults With Type 1 Diabetes

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          Abstract

          OBJECTIVE

          To perform the first comprehensive psychometric evaluation of the Hypoglycemia Fear Survey-II (HFS-II), a measure of the behavioral and affective dimensions of fear of hypoglycemia, using modern test-theory methods, including item-response theory (IRT).

          RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

          Surveys completed in four previous studies by 777 adults with type 1 diabetes were aggregated for analysis, with 289 subjects completing both subscales of the HFS-II and 488 subjects completing only the Worry subscale. The aggregated sample (53.3% female, 44.4% using insulin pumps) had a mean age of 41.9 years, diabetes duration of 23.8 years, HbA 1c value of 7.7%, and 1.4 severe hypoglycemic episodes in the past year. Data analysis included exploratory factor analysis using polychoric correlations and IRT. Factors were analyzed for fit, trait-level locations, point-measure correlations, and separation values.

          RESULTS

          Internal and test-retest reliability was good, as well as convergent validity, as demonstrated by significant correlations with other measures of psychological distress. Scores were significantly higher in subjects who had experienced severe hypoglycemia in the past year. Factor analyses validated the two subscales of the HFS-II. Item analyses showed that 12 of 15 items on the Behavior subscale, and all of the items on the Worry subscale had good-fit statistics.

          CONCLUSIONS

          The HFS-II is a reliable and valid measure of the fear of hypoglycemia in adults with type 1 diabetes, and factor analyses and IRT support the two separate subscales of the survey.

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          Most cited references12

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          Fear of hypoglycemia: quantification, validation, and utilization.

          Hypoglycemia can lead to various aversive symptomatic, affective, cognitive, physiological, and social consequences, which in turn can lead to the development of possible phobic avoidance behaviors associated with hypoglycemia. On the other hand, some patients may inappropriately deny or disregard warning signs of hypoglycemia. This study presents preliminary reliability and validity data on a psychometric instrument designed to quantify this fear: the hypoglycemic fear survey. The instrument was found to have internal consistency and test-retest stability, to covary with elevated glycosylated hemoglobin, and to be sensitive to a behavioral treatment program designed to increase awareness of hypoglycemia.
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            Predictors of fear of hypoglycemia in adolescents with type 1 diabetes and their parents.

            This study tested the hypothesis that both trait anxiety and hypoglycemic history contribute to fear of hypoglycemia (FOH) both in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and in their parents, and relationships between FOH and other variables including metabolic control, symptom perception, and use of insulin pump therapy. Thirty-nine parent-adolescent pairs completed questionnaires assessing background and clinical information, hypoglycemic episodes, FOH, and trait anxiety. Adolescent blood was also sampled for glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) measurement. In adolescents, both trait anxiety and frequency of severe hypoglycemic episodes were significant predictors of FOH, together accounting for almost 50% of the variance. Parental FOH was not predicted by their own trait anxiety or their child's hypoglycemic history but by whether they believed that their child carried emergency glucose. FOH was not related to metabolic control, although adolescents who experienced recent severe hypoglycemia (SH) with unconsciousness had significantly higher HbA1c. Parental trait anxiety significantly correlated with child trait anxiety, but parent-child levels of FOH were unrelated. Neither trait anxiety nor FOH related to reported symptoms, and FOH was not lower in parents with insulin pump therapy. Consistent with findings from adult patient populations, trait anxiety levels and recent experiences with hypoglycemia predict FOH in adolescents with T1DM. In parents, however, beliefs about their adolescents' ability to cope with hypoglycemic episodes predicted FOH. FOH in adolescents with T1DM and their parents is a complex construct influenced by multiple personality and situational and behavioral factors, and its impact on diabetes management remains unclear.
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              Algorithmic evaluation of metabolic control and risk of severe hypoglycemia in type 1 and type 2 diabetes using self-monitoring blood glucose data.

              The optimization of metabolic control in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T1DM and T2DM, respectively) [i.e., the maintenance of near-normal hemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)) without increasing the risk of hypoglycemia] could be enhanced by analysis of self-monitoring blood glucose (SMBG) data assessing complementary processes: exposure to hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. We present algorithms that simultaneously estimate HbA(1)c and risk for significant hypoglycemia using 45-60 days of SMBG. The algorithms were developed using a primary data for 96 subjects with T1DM (n = 48) and T2DM, and were validated in an external data for 520 subjects with T1DM (n = 231) and T2DM. All subjects were on insulin. In the primary (external) data the estimation of HbA(1c) had absolute error of 0.5 (0.7) units of HbA(1c) and percent error of 6.8% (8.1%); 96% (96%) of all estimates were within 20% from reference HbA(1c). The SMBG-estimated value of HbA(1c) was closer to current reference HbA(1c) than a reference HbA(1c) value taken only 2-3 months ago. The results in T1DM and T2DM were similar. Linear model predicted future significant hypoglycemia (R(2) = 62%, p < 0.0001). The leading predictor was a previously introduced Low Blood Glucose Index, which alone had R(2) = 55%. Probability model assessed accurately the odds for future moderate/severe hypoglycemia (coefficients of determination 92%/94%). Four risk categories were identified; within moderate- and high-risk category, there was no difference between T1DM and T2DM in the occurrence of prospective significant hypoglycemia. SMBG data allow for accurate estimation of the two most important markers of metabolic control in T1DM and T2DM - HbA(1c) and risk for hypoglycemia.
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                Author and article information

                Journal
                Diabetes Care
                diacare
                dcare
                Diabetes Care
                Diabetes Care
                American Diabetes Association
                0149-5992
                1935-5548
                April 2011
                21 March 2011
                : 34
                : 4
                : 801-806
                Affiliations
                [1] 1Health Sciences Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
                [2] 2Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
                Author notes
                Corresponding author: Linda A. Gonder-Frederick, lag3g@ 123456virginia.edu
                Article
                1343
                10.2337/dc10-1343
                3064031
                21346182
                df57999f-9847-4bcd-9d60-5421a13f9a9c
                © 2011 by the American Diabetes Association.

                Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered. See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ for details.

                History
                : 13 July 2010
                : 22 January 2011
                Categories
                Original Research
                Clinical Care/Education/Nutrition/Psychosocial Research

                Endocrinology & Diabetes
                Endocrinology & Diabetes

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