Linguistic validation of the Diabetic foot ulcer scale short form (DFS-SF): a methodological approach

Objective: to presenting the linguistic validation of the Diabetic Foot Ulcer Scale Short-Form (DFS-SF) among pa-tients with ulcer diabetic foot (DFU) to Brazilian Portuguese and evaluate its content, practicability and acceptability. Methods and casuistry: a cross-sectional, methodological research, was conducted among 30 outpatients in follow--up for DF, assessed regarding QoL, sociodemographic and clinical data. International recommendations provided by the Mapi Research Trust on adaptation procedures were followed: the stages of Forward translation, Backward trans-lation and the Cognitive interview were carried out. The Content Validity Index was calculated and a pre-test were gathered to produce a pre-final version. Practicability and acceptability were also assessed. Results: the semantic, idiomatic, cultural and conceptual equivalences between the linguistic validated and the original version were obtai-ned. The DFS-SF was practical, well accepted and easy to understand. Conclusion: the linguistic validation process of the Brazilian version of the DFS-SF has been completed in accordance with internationally recommended standards. The instrument was easy to apply, to understand and presented short time for administration. (AU)

Objetivo: apresentar a validação linguística do DFS-SF entre pacientes com DFU para o português do Brasil e avaliar seu conteúdo, praticabilidade e aceitabilidade. Metodologia e casuística: foi realizada uma pesquisa metodológica de corte transversal entre 30 pacientes ambulatoriais em acompanhamento para DFU. Seguiram-se recomendações internacionais fornecidas pelo Mapi Research Trust sobre procedimentos de adaptação: tradução direta, tradução reversa e entrevista cognitiva. O Índice de Validade de Conteúdo foi calculado e um pré-teste foi coletado para produzir uma versão pré-final. A praticidade e aceitabilidade também foram avaliadas. Resultados:foram obtidas as equivalências semântica, idiomática, cultural e conceitual entre a versão linguística validada e a versão original. O DFS-SF foi prático, bem aceito e fácil de entender. Conclusão: O DFS-SF da versão brasileira foi concluído de acordo com os padrões internacionalmente recomendados, foi fácil de aplicar, entender e apresentou pouco tempo para administração. (AU)

Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM version 1.4): Ceiling and Floor Effects, Reliability, and Known-Group Validity in Brazilian Outpatients With Hypertension.

OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the acceptability, ceiling and floor effects, reliability, and known-group validity of the Brazilian version of the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM) version 1.4 in patients with hypertension. METHODS: The sample consisted of 300 hypertensive patients undergoing treatment in an outpatient department. The acceptability was evaluated from the items not answered in the TSQM. The reliability of the TSQM was estimated through Cronbach's alpha. Known-group validity tested whether the TSQM discriminates satisfaction between different stages of hypertension, diagnoses of left ventricular hypertrophy, medication adherence, and occurrence of side effects. RESULTS: The TSQM had high acceptability (99% of participants answered all items). A substantial ceiling effect was found in the side effect (89%) and global satisfaction (29%) subscales. Reliability evaluated with Cronbach's alpha showed values >0.76 in all subscales. Known-group validity was supported with a statistically significant difference in patient satisfaction effectiveness between the hypertension groups and those without left ventricular hypertrophy. Regarding medication adherence, the TSQM was able to discriminate satisfaction in the side effect and global satisfaction subscales. A significantly higher satisfaction was found in all subscales of the TSQM in those patients without side effects. CONCLUSIONS: The TSQM is a reliable and valid questionnaire to be used in Brazilians with hypertension.

Measurement properties and factor analysis of the Diabetic Foot Ulcer Scale-short form (DFS-SF).

The purpose of this paper is to provide measurement properties evaluation and factor analysis of the Brazilian version of the diabetic foot ulcer scale-short form (DFS-SF). This methodological study evaluated the measurement properties of the DFS-SF by ceiling and floor effect reliability, responsiveness, and structural construct validity. The study included 290 people with diabetic foot under regular follow-up in a specialised outpatient clinic in inland São Paulo. Reliability was assessed by internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability. Ceiling and floor effects were assessed by the percentage of participants who scored the 15% worst (floor) and 15% best (ceiling) possible scale results. Validity was tested by correlating the instrument values with the domains of the Brazilian version of the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Responsiveness (n = 34) was accessed through the wound area obtained by photography and evaluated by the Image J Features program and the DFS-SF score at two moments, with a 4-week interval between them. The instrument had good evidence of reliability, shown by adequate internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha in domains >0.70) and compound reliability (0.84 > CC > 0.92); and of convergent validity, by significant positive correlations of moderate to strong magnitude with SF-36. Structural construct validity was examined by applying the DFS-SF confirmatory factor analysis, which indicated that the Brazilian version of the instrument is properly fitted to the original dimensional structure. The ceiling and floor effect analysis showed no ceiling or floor effects. Responsiveness was observed in the wound area, but not in the DFS-SF scores in the times. The Brazilian version of the DFS-SF presented evidence of validity and reliability, suggesting that this instrument is a valid tool for assessing the quality of life of people with diabetic foot in the Brazilian population.

Psychosocial determinants of adherence to oral antidiabetic medication among people with type 2 diabetes.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to identify the psychosocial determinants of adherence to oral antidiabetic medication, according to the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). BACKGROUND: Appropriate adherence to oral antidiabetic medication contributes to long-term glycaemic control. However, glycaemic control is often poor in people with type 2 diabetes, mainly due to the poor adherence to oral antidiabetic agents. DESIGN: Prospective study with 2 waves of data collection, based on STROBE checklist was conducted. One hundred and fifty-seven adults with type 2 diabetes, in chronic use of oral antidiabetic agents, composed the sample. At baseline, self-reported measures of medication adherence (proportion and global evaluation of adherence) and of metabolic control (glycated haemoglobin) of diabetes were obtained. METHODS: The TPB main constructs (attitude, subjective norm and perceived control) and related beliefs were measured. Adherence and metabolic control measurements were obtained in a two-month follow-up (n = 157). RESULTS: Attitude and subjective norm, together, explained 30% of the variability in intention; their underlying belief-based measures (behavioural and normative beliefs) explained 28% of the variability in intention. In addition, intention predicted behaviour at follow-up. However, when added to the prediction model, past behaviour was the only explanatory factor of adherence behaviour. CONCLUSION: Adherence behaviour to oral antidiabetic medication was predicted by intention, which, in turn, was determined by attitude and subjective norm. In order to promote adherence to oral antidiabetic agents, health professionals should include motivational strategies as well as strategies targeted to attitude and subjective norm when designing interventions. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The nonadherence to antidiabetic medication contributes to lack of control of diabetes and ensuing complications. The comprehension of the factors explaining the variability in medication adherence can inform the design of theory-based interventions aimed at promoting this behaviour.

A randomized controlled trial on the effect of behavioral strategies for adherence to oral antidiabetic drugs: study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Non-adherence to oral antidiabetics drugs (OADs) has been a common problem and may contribute to poor glycemic control. AIM: To describe an experimental study protocol that aims at implementing and evaluating the effect of the "action planning and coping planning" interventions on medication adherence to OADs in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in follow-up at primary care services. DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial. METHODS: Two groups (intervention and control) will be followed over a period of 105 days. The intervention group will receive a combination of the "action planning" and "coping planning" intervention strategies. There will be in-person meetings and phone calls to reinforce the intervention. The control group will receive the usual care from the health unit. CONCLUSIONS: It is hoped that this study will help health professionals to improve their approach with patients who have T2DM in relation to medication adherence.

Validation of an instrument to measure the impact of coronary disease on patient's daily life.

AIM: To evaluate the psychometric Instrument to Measure the Impact of Coronary Disease on Patient's Everyday Life (IDCV) when applied on patients with coronary disease being followed at an outpatient clinic. METHODS: One hundred and fifty-three patients with coronary disease were registered. Patients were analysed in terms of acceptability, ceiling and floor effect, reliability (using Cronbach's alpha coefficient) and convergent construct validity (by means of Spearman correlation) between the domains of IDCV and of 'Medical Outcomes Trust Short-form Health Survey (SF-36)' and 'MacNew Heart Disease Health-related Quality of Life Questionnaire'. RESULTS: Evidence was found for high acceptability of IDCV. No evidence was found for ceiling and floor effects regarding the total score of IDCV; however, ceiling and floor effects were found from the adjustment to the disease domain. Evidence was found for reliability of the instrument as a whole and for its domains (Cronbach's α ranged between 0·70-0·85). Similar domains on the IDCV, MacNew and SF-36 were correlated: Physical impact - symptoms on the IDCV with the physical function domain on MacNew (r = -0·64) and with most domains on the SF-36 related to the physical dimension; Social impact and emotional impact on the IDCV with emotional function (r = -0·53) and social function (r = -0·55) on the MacNew and mental health on SF-36 (r = -0·55). However, smaller correlations of moderate/high magnitude were found between different constructs entre: Social and emotional impact on the IDCV with physical function on the MacNew (r = -0·56) and with the following domains: Functional capacity (r = -0·50), general health (r = -0·52) and vitality (r = -0·50) on SF-36. CONCLUSION: The IDCV is an instrument with evidence regarding reliability and convergent validity also for the population of patients with coronary disease. Further studies to validate its factor structure could offer contributions for understanding the psychometric performance of the IDCV among patients with coronary disease.

Relationship between beliefs regarding a low salt diet in chronic renal failure patients on dialysis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between beliefs regarding a low salt diet and the nutritional behavior of sodium consumption as well their relation with sociodemographic and clinical variables among chronic renal failure (CRF) patients on dialysis. DESIGN AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled a sample of 117 patients who answered the Brazilian version of the Beliefs about Dietary Compliance Scale (BDCS), the sodium frequency food questionnaire, and the use of discretionary salt/day. RESULTS: The average of total salt consumption was 10.6 g/day (±6.3) and it was positively correlated with the interdialytic weight gain (r = 0.20 P = .032) and negatively correlated with the education level (r = -0.19 P = .044). The Benefits beliefs were discriminatory of the higher and lower salt consumers, and proportionally related to monthly income (r = 0.22 P = .017). The Barriers beliefs were positively correlated only to time on dialysis (r = 0.25 P = .008). Subjects with lower schooling and those of older age tended to consume more discretionary salt (r = -0.27, P = .005; r = 0.23, P = .016, respectively); however, they reported a lower consumption of foods with high salt content (r = 0.25 P = .006; r = -0.27 P = .004). CONCLUSIONS: Educational interventions aimed at reducing salt consumption for this group must include interventions targeted at different behaviors related to overall salt consumption, the specificities of age, and level of schooling of the patients.

Quality of life, dyspnea and ventricular function in patients with hypertension.

AIM: This paper is a report of an investigation of the relationship between health-related quality of life and left ventricular function among patients with hypertension who did not fulfil the criteria for heart failure. BACKGROUND: Heart failure is a common consequence of hypertension, with Doppler echocardiography being the gold-standard tool to evaluate left ventricular function, mainly hypertension-induced left ventricular damage. Echocardiographic data indicating poorer ventricular function have been related to lower levels of health-related quality of life in patients with systolic and/or diastolic heart failure. However, data are still lacking regarding the correlation between health-related quality of life and left ventricular function and structure in patients with hypertension who do not fulfil the criteria for heart failure. METHOD: Between September 2005 and February 2007, 98 patients with hypertension without systolic or diastolic heart failure were evaluated. Health-related quality of life was assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36. Left ventricular function was evaluated through Tissue Doppler echocardiography. RESULTS: Statistically significant but weak correlations (varying from r = -0.22 to 0.35) were observed between some of the Short Form-36 domains and echo data. To consider the potential effect of dyspnoea in this relationship, patients were split according to the presence or absence of the symptom. In the subgroup without dyspnoea, similar patterns of correlation were observed (varying from r = 0.26 to 0.32). In the subgroup with dyspnoea, however, more and stronger correlations were observed between echo data and health-related quality of life domains, varying from r = -0.40 to 0.50. CONCLUSION: Nurses should be aware of the relevance of evaluating the functional echocardiographic data of patients who not fulfil heart failure criteria, but who experience dyspnoea in order to implement appropriate action plans.