Validation of Scale Measuring Environmental Barriers to Diabetes-Regimen Adherence
- Audrey A Irvine, PhD,
- J Terry Saunders, PhD,
- Michael B Blank, MA and
- William R Carter, PhD
- Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry and the Diabetes Center, University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, and the Department of Psychology, University of Virginia Charlottesville, Virginia
- Address correspondence and reprint requests to Audrey A. Irvine, PhD, Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry, Drawer F, Blue Ridge Hospital, Charlottesville, VA 22903.
Abstract
This study reports on the validation of a diabetesspecific measure of environmental barriers to regimen adherence. The reliability and validity of the environmental barriers to adherence scale (EBAS) were determined for a sample of 214 insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients. The scale was shown to be a valid measure of barriers to adherence as assessed by its relationship to the barriers to adherence questionnaire and the barriers to adherence portion of the diabetes-care profile. The medication, testing, exercise, and diet subscales of the EBAS were correlated with four corresponding and three noncorresponding measures of self-care behavior from the diabetes selfcare behaviors scale. Each subscale correlated well with its corresponding self-care behavior and less well with noncorresponding self-care behavior. The internal consistency of the scale and the test-retest reliability were found to be good. The results suggest that the EBAS scale is a valid, reliable measure of barriers to diabetes-regimen adherence.
- Received July 24, 1989.
- Revision received December 13, 1989.
- Accepted December 13, 1989.
- Copyright © 1990 by the American Diabetes Association
