Measurement of Parental Self-Efficacy for Diabetes Management in Young Children

Self-efficacy is an important construct in diabetes management, especially for parents of young children. The Parental Self-Efficacy Scale for Diabetes Management (PSESDM) was adapted from the Perceived Diabetes Self-Management Scale (PDSMS) to measure parental self-efficacy for diabetes management of young children. The PSESDM was administered to 49 primary caregivers of youth between 2-9 years of age with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Cronbach's alpha for the 8-item measure demonstrated adequate internal consistency (alpha = 0.84). Criterion-related validity was established. Higher scores on the PSESDM were associated with better glycemic control and quality of life in children. These preliminary findings provide support for the reliability and validity of the PSESDM, which may be a useful screening measure of diabetes-related parental self-efficacy for young children.