Development and validation of a diabetes self-management instrument for older African-Americans

• Published in: Social work in health care Vol. 55; no. 5; pp. 381 - 394
• Main Authors: McCaskill, Gina M., Bolland, Kathleen A., Burgio, Kathryn L., Leeper, James
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Routledge 27.05.2016; Taylor & Francis LLC
• Subjects: African Americans; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring; Cognition; Cognitive development; Cognitive interviews; Convergent validity; Diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - ethnology; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - therapy; Diabetes self-management; Experts; Female; Geriatric Assessment - methods; Health; Health services; Humans; instrument validation; Male; Management; Medical personnel; older African-Americans; Older people; Reproducibility of Results; Self care; Self concept; Self-Management; Selfmanagement; Social Work - methods; Social Work - standards; Social workers; Socioeconomic Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires - standards; Type 2 diabetes mellitus; United States; Validity; Diabetes self-management; older African-Americans; instrument validation
• ISSN: 0098-1389; 1541-034X
• DOI: 10.1080/00981389.2015.1129012

The objective of this study was to develop and validate a new diabetes self-management instrument for older African-Americans 65 years of age and older. The Self-Care Utility Geriatric African-American Rating (SUGAAR) was developed using the American Diabetes Association's standards for the management of type 2 diabetes in older adults and cognitive interviews with older African-Americans. The instrument underwent extensive review by a panel of experts, two rounds of cognitive interviews, and a pilot test before it was administered in an interview format to 125 community-dwelling older African-Americans. The instrument demonstrated content validity and significant, but modest, convergent validity with items from an established diabetes self-management instrument. Social workers and health care professionals can use the SUGARR to assess diabetes self-management and to identify areas for education and support for older African-Americans with type 2 diabetes.