Short version of the Problem Areas in Diabetes scale(PAID-13) in Brazilian patients with diabetes: a structural and criterion validity study.

BACKGROUND

The Problem Areas in Diabetes scale (PAID) is used to measure emotional distress levels related to diabetes mellitus (DM). However, consensus on its internal structure is lacking.

OBJECTIVES

To compare the different internal structures of the PAID and propose a shortened version for Brazilian patients with diabetes.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Structural and criterion validity study.

METHODS

We included Brazilian patients with type 1 DM (DM1) and type 2 DM (DM2) in this study. In accordance with the international consensus recommendations, we assessed the structural validity using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and used the following indices to evaluate model fit: root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), comparative fit index (CFI), Tucker-Lewis index (TLI), standardized root mean square residual (SRMR), chi-square/degrees of freedom (DF), Akaike information criterion (AIC) and sample-size adjusted Bayesian information criterion (SABIC). Modification indices and factor loadings were used to reduce the number of items.

RESULTS

One hundred eighty-five patients, most of whom included women with DM2, participated in the study. The reduction in the PAID generated a unidimensional structure with 13 items (PAID-13). The PAID-13 presented the best-fit indices (chi-square/DF = 2.15, CFI = 0.989, TLI = 0.986, RMSEA = 0.079, and SRMR = 0.049). When the PAID versions with 13 and 20 items (original version) were correlated, a strong correlation was observed (rho = 0.941, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The short version of the PAID scale with 13 items presented a more appropriate internal structure for Brazilian patients with diabetes.