Older adults' fears about diabetes: using common sense models of disease to understand fear origins and implications for self-management

The needs of patients with diabetes for the prevention and treatment of foot complications in Thailand: A qualitative descriptive study

Background

Inadequate diabetes self-management leads to foot infections and lower extremity amputations. Effective self-care, supported by nurse-provided information, is crucial, particularly in foot care. However, the current approach in Thailand focuses more on what nurses want patients to know rather than addressing patients' actual needs. Consequently, nurses might misunderstand their patients' perspectives. Hence, nurses need to grasp patients' needs for successful foot care behavior.

Objective

This study aimed to explore the needs of patients with diabetes regarding the prevention and treatment of foot complications.

Methods

The study employed a qualitative descriptive design. Thirty participants classified as high risk for foot ulcers were purposively selected from Thailand's university hospitals. Focus group discussions were used for data collection between June and July 2021. Verbatim transcription and content analysis were carried out for data analysis.

Results

Four emergent themes highlighted patients' needs: 1) information-giving, 2) proactive foot screening with foot-care affirmation, 3) foot care services, and 4) relieving foot burdens and limb loss.

Conclusion

Nurses should change their mindset to care for and continually understand patients' needs. This involves adapting educational strategies like the teach-back method and coaching while providing skill training. Offering diverse service platforms, both online and onsite education programs and counseling, is essential. Additionally, ensuring accessibility and affordability, such as establishing after-hours clinics and supplying foot care toolkits, remains crucial.

The Effect of Attitude to Death on Self-Management in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study was conducted to examine the effect of attitude to death on self-management in patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was carried out in a descriptive and correlational type with the participation of n = 103 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients registered in the Internal Medicine Unit at a University Hospital. Personal Information Form, Death Attitude Profile-Revised (DAP-R), Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire and Fear of COVID-19 Scale were used in data collection. According to the results of the study, it was determined that diabetes patients' fear of COVID-19 increased their fear of death and self-management. Similarly, neuropathy and nephropathy developed in these patients. In addition, it was determined that the diabetic patients who worked 6-7 days a week outside the home had higher levels of fear. It was found that those with high fear were more attentive to social distancing, wearing masks and hand sanitizer use. Staying at home is also not always possible for patients with chronic diseases, and people struggle with COVID-19 by working in crowded workspaces. It is necessary to recognize the struggle of patients with chronic diseases and provide social, economic and psychological support.

Enablers and barriers to diabetic retinopathy eye care among first nations and Métis women

BACKGROUND

Diabetes is increasingly prevalent in Indigenous women and increases their risk of developing diabetic retinopathy, an eye complication of diabetes and a common cause of vision loss in Canada, especially among adults. Early detection is the most effective approach to prevent vision loss and reduce the impact of diabetic retinopathy.

OBJECTIVE

This study examined enablers and barriers that influence the diabetes eye care behaviour of First Nations and Métis women with diabetes and at risk of diabetes.

METHODS

We conducted a descriptive qualitative study with 35 First Nations and Métis women with diabetes or at risk of diabetes in Saskatoon, Canada. Data were collected via four sharing circle discussions and were analysed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

The study findings showed that understanding of diabetes eye care access and cost, and unsupportive interactions with health care practitioners, were barriers to diabetic retinopathy care behaviour. Conversely, the presence of eye complications, participants' resolve to manage diabetes, self-efficacy and fear due to experiences of family members with diabetes enabled diabetes eye care.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study advances knowledge in socio-cultural factors influencing diabetic retinopathy care behaviour among First Nations and Métis women living with and at risk of diabetes. The study shows the need for further public health and health system interventions to address barriers and support Indigenous peoples with or at risk of diabetes to make informed health decisions.

Amputation and infection are the greatest fears in patients with diabetes foot complications

AIMS

To determine the degree patients with diabetic foot ulcers, Charcot neuroarthropathy and neuropathic fractures and dislocations fear complications (death, dialysis, heart attack, stroke, blindness, diabetic foot infection, minor and major lower extremity amputation [LEA]) that can occur and to assess if there is a difference between fears of patients with diabetic foot ulcers, Charcot neuroarthropathy and neuropathic fractures and dislocations and diabetic patients without these complications.

METHODS

478 patients completed an eight question Likert scale survey. The study group was defined as non-infected foot ulcers, neuropathic fractures and Charcot neuroarthropathy.

RESULTS

Of the 478 patients, 121 (25.3 %) had diabetic foot ulcers, Charcot neuroarthropathy or neuropathic fractures and dislocations and 357 (74.7 %) did not. The study group had significantly higher odds of reporting extreme fear of foot infection (OR 2.8, 95 % CI 1.8-4.5), major LEA (OR 2.8, 95 % CI 1.8-4.4), minor LEA (OR 2.3, 95 % CI 1.5-3.5), blindness (OR 2.0, 95 % CI 1.3-3.2), dialysis (OR 2.0, 95 % CI 1.1-3.3), and death (OR 2.4, 95 % CI 1.4-4.2). In the study group highest rated fear measures were foot infection (3.71, SD 1.23), minor amputation (3.67, SD 1.45) and major amputation (3.63, SD 1.52). There were no significant differences in the mean fear of infection, minor amputation or major amputation.

CONCLUSION

Patients with diabetic foot ulcers, Charcot neuroarthropathy or neuropathic fractures and dislocations reported higher fear ratings of diabetes-related complications compared to those without these complications.

Psychological interventions to improve self-management of type 1 and type 2 diabetes: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

For people with diabetes mellitus to achieve optimal glycaemic control, motivation to perform self-management is important. The research team wanted to determine whether or not psychological interventions are clinically effective and cost-effective in increasing self-management and improving glycaemic control.

OBJECTIVES

The first objective was to determine the clinical effectiveness of psychological interventions for people with type 1 diabetes mellitus and people with type 2 diabetes mellitus so that they have improved (1) glycated haemoglobin levels, (2) diabetes self-management and (3) quality of life, and fewer depressive symptoms. The second objective was to determine the cost-effectiveness of psychological interventions.

DATA SOURCES

The following databases were accessed (searches took place between 2003 and 2016): MEDLINE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, Web of Science, and Dissertation Abstracts International. Diabetes conference abstracts, reference lists of included studies and Clinicaltrials.gov trial registry were also searched.

REVIEW METHODS

Systematic review, aggregate meta-analysis, network meta-analysis, individual patient data meta-analysis and cost-effectiveness modelling were all used. Risk of bias of randomised and non-randomised controlled trials was assessed using the Cochrane Handbook (Higgins JP, Altman DG, Gøtzsche PC, Jüni P, Moher D, Oxman AD, et al. The Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias in randomised trials. BMJ 2011;343:d5928).

DESIGN

Systematic review, meta-analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis and patient and public consultation were all used.

SETTING

Settings in primary or secondary care were included.

PARTICIPANTS

Adolescents and children with type 1 diabetes mellitus and adults with types 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus were included.

INTERVENTIONS

The interventions used were psychological treatments, including and not restricted to cognitive-behavioural therapy, counselling, family therapy and psychotherapy.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Glycated haemoglobin levels, self-management behaviours, body mass index, blood pressure levels, depressive symptoms and quality of life were all used as outcome measures.

RESULTS

A total of 96 studies were included in the systematic review (n = 18,659 participants). In random-effects meta-analysis, data on glycated haemoglobin levels were available for seven studies conducted in adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus (n = 851 participants) that demonstrated a pooled mean difference of -0.13 (95% confidence interval -0.33 to 0.07), a non-significant decrease in favour of psychological treatment; 18 studies conducted in adolescents/children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (n = 2583 participants) that demonstrated a pooled mean difference of 0.00 (95% confidence interval -0.18 to 0.18), indicating no change; and 49 studies conducted in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (n = 12,009 participants) that demonstrated a pooled mean difference of -0.21 (95% confidence interval -0.31 to -0.10), equivalent to reduction in glycated haemoglobin levels of -0.33% or ≈3.5 mmol/mol. For type 2 diabetes mellitus, there was evidence that psychological interventions improved dietary behaviour and quality of life but not blood pressure, body mass index or depressive symptoms. The results of the network meta-analysis, which considers direct and indirect effects of multiple treatment comparisons, suggest that, for adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus (7 studies; 968 participants), attention control and cognitive-behavioural therapy are clinically effective and cognitive-behavioural therapy is cost-effective. For adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (49 studies; 12,409 participants), cognitive-behavioural therapy and counselling are effective and cognitive-behavioural therapy is potentially cost-effective. The results of the individual patient data meta-analysis for adolescents/children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (9 studies; 1392 participants) suggest that there were main effects for age and diabetes duration. For adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (19 studies; 3639 participants), baseline glycated haemoglobin levels moderated treatment outcome.

LIMITATIONS

Aggregate meta-analysis was limited to glycaemic control for type 1 diabetes mellitus. It was not possible to model cost-effectiveness for adolescents/children with type 1 diabetes mellitus and modelling for type 2 diabetes mellitus involved substantial uncertainty. The individual patient data meta-analysis included only 40-50% of studies.

CONCLUSIONS

This review suggests that psychological treatments offer minimal clinical benefit in improving glycated haemoglobin levels for adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, there was no evidence of benefit compared with control interventions in improving glycated haemoglobin levels for people with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

FUTURE WORK

Future work should consider the competency of the interventionists delivering a therapy and psychological approaches that are matched to a person and their life course.

STUDY REGISTRATION

This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42016033619.

FUNDING

This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 24, No. 28. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Psychometric evaluation of the Persian version of the diabetic foot self-care questionnaire in Iranian patients with diabetes

BACKGROUND

Diabetic foot self-care refers to a group of self-management behaviors that can reduce the incidence of foot ulcers and amputations. It is necessary to have a valid and reliable standard tool to measure foot self-care in diabetic patients. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Diabetic Foot Self-Care Questionnaire of the University of Malaga, Spain (DFSQ-UMA) in Iran.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted with 407 diabetic patients who were selected using a convenient sampling method. Construct validity was assessed by exploratory (with 207 patients) and confirmatory (with 200 patients) factor analyses. Internal consistency was calculated using Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega coefficients.

RESULTS

In the exploratory factor analysis, three factors with eigenvalues of 3.84, 2.41, and 2.26 were extracted that together explained 56.74% of the total variance of diabetic foot self-care. A Cronbach's alpha of 0.865 was found for the total instrument.

CONCLUSIONS

The Persian version of the DFSQ-UMA has good validity and reliability, and given its good psychometric properties, it can be used in future studies.

"What do we fear the most?": Exploring fears and concerns of patients, family members and dyads in end-stage renal disease

INTRODUCTION

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) and the need for haemodialysis (HD) treatment are increasing. The course of the disease and all the life readjustments needed may generate a multitude of fears in patients and families.

AIM

This study aimed to explore the main fears and concerns of patients with ESRD undergoing HD and their family members.

STUDY DESIGN

A qualitative study was performed.

METHODS

Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with three groups: 20 patients, 14 family caregivers and 15 patient-family dyads. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim and submitted to thematic analysis.

FINDINGS

Five major themes emerged: (i) fear of death (fear of earlier death, fear of a sudden death and fear of dying); (ii) fear of problems during HD (fears related to the vascular access, and fear of complications during HD); (iii) concerns related to the disease (fear of loss of autonomy, fears of getting worse, fears related to renal transplantation and concerns about dietary restrictions); (iv) fear about the future; and (v) absence of fears and concerns.

DISCUSSION

Patients with ESRD undergoing HD and their family members expressed different fears related to the disease and the treatments required. Renal care staff must acknowledge and understand such concerns and help patients and families to cope. This is important to improving people's quality of life (QoL), the dialogue between health professionals, patients, and family members, and the care offered by the dialysis care settings. Moreover, this study highlights the impact this disease has at a familial level. Future family-based interventions should acknowledge possible fears and concerns of this population and integrate them into their programs.

Fears, Depression, and Anxieties of Patients With Diabetic Retinopathy and Implications for Education and Treatment

Objective:

This study investigates undiagnosed depression and anxiety related to diabetes in patients with diabetic retinopathy and identifies commonly feared complications that these patients experience.

Methods:

The 74 consecutive individuals with diabetes were recruited for this investigation from the office of a retina specialist, and data were obtained from the participants through a self-report survey given to the patients before their appointment.

Results:

The most feared complication reported by patients surveyed was blindness (38.36%). When asked about depression and anxiety related to their diabetes, 20.27% of patients stated they have depression related to their diabetes, whereas 18.92% had anxiety related to their diabetes. Only 17.57% of the patients said they were being treated for their depression and/or anxiety at the time of the survey.

Conclusions:

This study demonstrates that many patients with diabetic retinopathy have coexisting fears and mental health concerns. Because most retina specialists treat a high number of patients with diabetes, it is crucial to understand the barriers and comorbidities related to this patient population. Retina specialists may play a role in identifying the hidden and underlying fears, depression, and anxieties in patients with diabetes so that these patients can get the necessary help and counseling they need.

Assessing Informal and Formal Diabetes Knowledge in African American Older Adults With Uncontrolled Diabetes

Some researchers attribute the excess rates of diabetes complications among African American older adults compared to other racial/ethnic subgroups to low diabetes knowledge. Diabetes knowledge measures have a biomedical orientation, including knowledge of glycemic control and using diet and exercise to control blood sugar. Measures do not assess informal knowledge that patients obtain outside of the clinical environment. The distinction between formal and informal knowledge is meaningful for cultural groups such as African American individuals who have historically transferred knowledge about maintaining their health "through the grapevine." A qualitative approach was used to understand participants' informal diabetes knowledge. Three major themes identified addressed the threat that participants perceived when diagnosed, the social construction of diabetes knowledge through their lived and observed experiences, and the limited role that clinicians played in participants' diabetes knowledge acquisition. Findings reveal ways nurses can individualize the diabetes education they provide to African American older adults based on their experiential understanding. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 45(2), 35-41.].

How people living with diabetes in Indonesia learn about their disease: A grounded theory study

BACKGROUND

Diabetes education has been found to impact positively on self-management by people with diabetes although little is known about the process by which they assimilate information. The aim of this study was to generate a theory explaining the process by which people with diabetes learn about their disease in Indonesia.

METHODS

This study employed a grounded theory methodology influenced by constructivism and symbolic interactionism. A total of twenty-eight face-to-face or telephone interviews with participants from Indonesia that included people with diabetes, healthcare professionals, health service providers and families of people with diabetes were conducted in both Indonesia and Australia.

RESULTS

This study discloses a core category of Learning, choosing, and acting: self-management of diabetes in Indonesia as the basic social process of how people learn about their diabetes. The process includes five distinctive major categories. People with diabetes acted after they had received recommendations that they considered to be trustworthy. Factors that influenced their choice of recommendations to adopt are also identified.

CONCLUSIONS

Awareness of the complexity involved in their decision making will assist healthcare professionals to engage effectively with people living with diabetes.

Expectations and fear of diabetes-related long-term complications in people with type 2 diabetes at primary care level

AIMS

The quality report of patients enrolled in the disease management programmes of North Rhine Westphalia 2016 showed prevalence of long-term complications in diabetes type 2: neuropathy 24.2%, nephropathy 12.5%, retinopathy 8.2%. The aim of this study was to assess expectations and fear of diabetes-related long-term complications in people with diabetes type 2.

METHODS

We assessed expectations and fear of diabetes-related complications in 104 people with diabetes type 2 (age 67.0J, diabetes duration 6.6J, HbA1c 6.6%/48.6 mmol/mol, neuropathy 20.2%, nephropathy 11.5%, retinopathy 1.9%) in an outpatient healthcare centre at primary care level. Fear of diabetes-related complications was assessed using the "Fear of Complications Questionnaire" (FCQ) with a range of 0-45 points (≥ 30 means clinically meaningful fear, higher scores imply higher level of fear). Furthermore, study participants estimated general and personal risk of suffering from diabetes-related long-term complications after 10 years of diabetes duration on a scale of 0-100%.

RESULTS

Mean FCQ score was 22.9 ± 11.5. 34/104 participants (32.7%) scored ≥ 30 points and thus had great fear. Participants estimated general risk of suffering from diabetes-related complications after 10 years of diabetes duration on 55.1% and personal risk on 46.0%. Risk of diabetes-related complications scoring highest was impaired circulation of lower limb (62.1%), eye complications (57.3%) and kidney complications (54.7%).

CONCLUSION

Prevalence of diabetes-related long-term complications was overestimated in people with diabetes type 2. Approximately one third of the participants showed even great fear. Patient expectation and fear about diabetes-associated complications did not correspondent with data on clinical reality.

Utilizing the common sense model to explore African Americans' perception of type 2 diabetes: A qualitative study

Illness perceptions, which are likely influenced by patients' cultural contexts, are associated with disease self-management and adherence. African American patients perceptions of type 2 diabetes is not well understood and no known studies has used a comprehensive evidence-based theoretical framework to explore what AAs with type 2 diabetes know, believe, and think about type 2 diabetes. Understanding perceptions of an illness shared by a group of people will be useful in developing culturally-appropriate interventions targeted to the needs of the community. The purpose of this study is to explore African Americans' perceptions of type 2 diabetes based on the common sense model of illness and self-regulation. Using a phenomenology qualitative approach and purposive sampling, 40 African American men and women, age 45-60 years old with diagnosed type 2 diabetes at least one year prior, and who took at least one prescription diabetes medication, participated in six semi-structured 90-minute focus groups conducted in a private space. Qualitative content analysis was conducted to explore African Americans beliefs about type 2 diabetes. Participants expressed that historical issues, e.g., slavery, healthcare providers, the government, and God influenced how they developed diabetes. Participants reported a loss of autonomy, a change of their identity as an employee, a social individual and sexual person, as well as anger and frustration due to having diabetes. Diabetes made the African American family bonding experience of eating difficult, and the disease diminished their cultural experiences. Concerns about diabetes ranged from fear of death and amputations to the inability to prevent the disease among their children/grandchildren. Participants perceived that medications, faith in God, and positive thinking about survival helped control diabetes. Conclusions: Improved diabetes self-management and medication adherence may depend on the meaning African Americans attach to diabetes, available psychosocial support for managing diabetes, and African Americans experience with diabetes.

Patients With Diabetic Foot Disease Fear Major Lower-Extremity Amputation More Than Death

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to identify the most-feared complications of diabetes mellitus (DM), comparing those with diabetic foot pathology with those without diabetic foot pathology.

METHODS

We determined the frequency of patients ranking major lower-extremity amputation (LEA) as their greatest fear in comparison to blindness, death, diabetic foot infection (DFI), or end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring dialysis. We further categorized the study group patients (N = 207) by their pathology such as diabetic foot ulcer (DFU), Charcot neuroarthropathy, foot infection, or acute neuropathic fractures and dislocations. The control group (N = 254) was comprised of patients with diabetes who presented with common non-diabetes-related foot pathology.

RESULTS

A total of 461 patients were enrolled in this study and included 254 patients without diabetic foot complications and 207 patients with diabetic foot problems. When comparing patients with and without diabetic disease, no significant differences were observed with regard to their fear of blindness, DFI, or ESRD requiring dialysis. Patients with diabetic foot disease (61 of 207, 31.9%) were 136% more likely (odds ratio [OR] = 2.36; 95% CI = 1.51-3.70; P = .002] to rank major LEA as their greatest fear when compared with diabetic patients without foot disease (42 of 254, 16.5%) and were 49% less likely (OR = 0.51; 95% CI = 0.34-0.79; P = .002) to rank death as their greatest fear compared with patients without diabetic foot disease.

CONCLUSION

Patients with diabetic foot pathology fear major LEA more than death, foot infection, or ESRD. Variables that were associated with ranking LEA as the greatest fear were the presence of a diabetic-related foot complication, duration of DM ≥10 years, insulin use, and the presence of peripheral neuropathy.

LEVELS OF EVIDENCE

Level II: Prospective, Case controlled study.

Sensory Functions, Balance, and Mobility in Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Without Overt Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: A Brief Report

This study examined possible subtle degradation in sensory functions, balance, and mobility in older adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) prior to overt development of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). Twenty-five healthy controls (HC group, age = 74.6 ± 5.4) and 35 T2D elderly without DPN (T2D group, age = 70.6 ± 4.7) were recruited. Sensory assessment included vibrotactile sensitivity, bilateral caloric weakness, and visual contrast sensitivity. Self-report measures comprised of Activity-Specific Balance Confidence (ABC), Human Activity Profile–adjusted activity scores (HAP-AAS), falls, and mobility disability. Performance measures included modified Timed-Up and Go (mTUG), Clinical Test of Sensory Integration for Balance (mCTSIB), and Frailty and Injuries (FICSIT-4) balance test. T2D group demonstrated significantly worse bilateral caloric weakness, marginally higher threshold of vibrotactile sensitivity and lower visual contrast sensitivity, and as well as signifcantly lower HAP-AAS. A significantly higher proportion of the T2D group failed mCTSIB Condition 4 than in the HC group. Subtle changes in multiple sensory systems of older adults with T2D may reduce redundancy available for balance control while performing challenging activities much before DPN development.

Self-Management and Self-Management Support Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Mixed Research Synthesis of Stakeholder Views

INTRODUCTION

Self-management has received growing attention as an effective approach for long-term condition management. Little is known about which outcomes of supported self-management are valued by patients, their families, health professionals and those who commission self-management services. This study systematically reviewed published empirical evidence in accordance with PRISMA guidelines to determine the outcomes of self-management valued by these key stakeholder groups, using three prominent exemplar conditions: colorectal cancer, diabetes and stroke.

AIM

To systematically review the literature to identify which generic outcomes of self-management have been targeted and are considered important using three exemplar conditions (colorectal cancer, diabetes and stroke), which collectively have a range of features that are likely to be representative of generic self-management issues.

METHODS

Systematic searching of nine electronic databases was conducted in addition to hand searches of review articles. Abstracts were identified against inclusion criteria and appraised independently by two reviewers, using a critical appraisal tool. Synthesis of findings was conducted using mixed research synthesis.

RESULTS

Over 20,536 abstracts were screened. 41 studies which met the review criteria were fully retrieved and appraised. The majority of evidence related to diabetes. Few studies directly focussed on stakeholders' views concerning desired self-management outcomes; the majority of evidence was derived from studies focusing upon the experience of self-management. The views of health care commissioners were absent from the literature. We identified that self-management outcomes embrace a range of indicators, from knowledge, skills, and bio-psychosocial markers of health through to positive social networks.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients', families', health professionals' and commissioners' views regarding which outcomes of self-management are important have not been clearly elicited. The extent to which bio-psychosocial indicators relate to successful self-management from the perspectives of all groups of stakeholders is unknown. Further investigation regarding which self-management outcomes are considered important by all stakeholders is necessary to guide the commissioning and design of future self-management services.

Assessment of an Expanded Functional Disability Scale for Older Adults With Diabetes

Although prior literature has shown the plausibility of combining the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) items to form an expanded scale for measuring the degree of functional decline, this has not been shown in older adults with diabetes who are disproportionately affected by functional disability. Using the 2009 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey data, we evaluated the factor structure of the pooled ADL and IADL items. Based on our study comprising 2,158 community-dwelling older adults (≥65 years) with diabetes, the unidimensional model exhibited good fit. Despite well-fitting indices, high correlations were observed between the latent constructs (>.70) of the multi-factor models, suggesting a lack of discriminant validity. These findings provide empirical support for a combined scale that can comprehensively and efficiently characterize the extent of functional disability in older adults with diabetes for research, risk adjustment, and evaluation in patient-centered medical homes.