Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Properties of the Diabetes Quality of Life Scale in Afaan Oromoo among People Living with Type 2 Diabetes in Ethiopia

• Main Authors: Dereje Chala Diriba, Doris Y. P. Leung, Lorna K. P. Suen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-07-01
• Series: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Subjects: diabetes quality of life; DQOL; Afaan Oromoo; psychometric properties
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/14/7435
• ISSN: 1661-7827; 1660-4601

Background: The original 46-item diabetes quality of life (DQOL) scale has been translated into different languages, and the translated DQOL has shown good reliability and validity after deleting some items. The aim of this study was to translate the diabetes quality of life (DQOL) scale into Afaan Oromoo and to culturally adapt and evaluate the psychometric properties of the DQOL-Afaan Oromoo (DQOL-AO) among people living with T2D in Ethiopia. Methods: A cross-sectional study with a convenience sampling technique was conducted in 2020. The DQOL was translated and adapted to Afaan Oromoo. Item–total correlations and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) assessed factor structure; the Cronbach’s alpha assessed internal consistency and relationships with gender, educational status, marital status, age, and employment status; and status of diabetes-related disease assessed the construct validity of the DQOL-AO. Results: 417 participants responded to all items of the DQOL. Item–total correlation analysis and EFA produced a 34-item DQOL-AO with four subscales, which demonstrated that the internal consistency of the overall DQOL-AO was 0.867, and scores were 0.827, 0.846, 0.654, and 0.727 for the impact, satisfaction, social/vocational worry, and diabetes-related worry subscales, respectively. Statistically significant differences between QOL were obtained in educational status (F = 7.164, <i>p</i> < 0.001) and employment status (F = 4.21, <i>p</i> = 0.002). Individuals who attended college and above and government employees had better QOL. Conclusion: The 34-item DQOL-AO provided preliminary evidence as a reliable and valid tool to measure diabetic-related QOL before it can be widely used among adults living with T2D who speak Afaan Oromoo.