Development of a new fear of hypoglycemia scale: preliminary results.

OBJECTIVE

To provide preliminary psychometric data on the Children's Hypoglycemia Index (CHI), a new scale was designed to measure fear of hypoglycemia (FH) in children.

METHODS

One hundred and nine children with type 1 diabetes attending a diabetes summer camp completed the CHI, and 57 of these children completed the CHI 2 weeks later. All participants also completed the Children's Hypoglycemia Fear Survey (CHFS), the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS), and a Hypoglycemia History Form. Parents of the children also completed a Hypoglycemia History Form.

RESULTS

The CHI demonstrated good factor structure, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and criterion-related validity with established measures. Frequency of severe hypoglycemic episodes since diabetes diagnosis also predicted scores on the Situation- and General-Fear subscales of the CHI.

CONCLUSIONS

The CHI demonstrated reliability and validity as a measurement of children's FH. The use of this measure offers important clinical and research implications.