Author(s)

Eri Konda¹, Michiko Inagaki^2*, Keiko Tasaki²

¹Department of Chronic Care, Division of Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.
²Department of Clinical Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.

Objectives: For the medical care of older adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes later in life, it is necessary to provide medical staff support considering their life stage and to ensure that they live a stable life without fatigue. However, there is no measure for evaluating whether older diabetic patients have a stable life at the time of diagnosis. This study aimed to develop a scale to evaluate self-care stability for diabetic patients and to verify its reliability and validity. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at four hospitals in Japan. A draft scale comprising 39 items was developed to identify patients’ stability of diabetes self-care in life. A total of 69 patients diagnosed with diabetes for the first time at age 60 or older responded effectively to questionnaires. Results: As a result of item analysis and factor analysis, seven factors comprising 20 items were extracted. The cumulative contribution ratio before rotation was 70.577%. Cronbach’s α was 0.700 overall. The total score on this scale and the sum of the revised Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale scores were significantly positively correlated (r = 0.379). On comparing the total scale score based on glycated hemoglobin level, the scale score of the stable group was found to be higher. Therefore, this scale was found to be reliable and valid. Conclusions: This scale may have utility in the measurement of self-care stability in patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes later in life.

HbA1c, Older Adults, Self-Care, Type 2 Diabetes

Konda, E. , Inagaki, M. and Tasaki, K. (2018) Development of a Measurement Scale to Evaluate Self-Care Stability for Patients Diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes at an Older Age. Open Journal of Nursing, 8, 905-917. doi: 10.4236/ojn.2018.812068.