Reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Type 2 Diabetes Stigma Assessment Scale

Objective To translate the English version of Type 2 Diabetes Stigma Assessment Scale(DSAS-2) into Chinese,and to test the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of DSAS-2. Methods The DSAS-2 was translated and adapted according to Chinese culture following the translation and back-retranslation procedure. The reliability and validity of the Chinese version of DSAS-2 was tested among 294 patients with type 2 diabetes. Results The Chinese version of DSAS-2 included three subscales: Treated Differently (6 items), Blame and Judgment (7 items), and Self-stigma (6 items) and contained a total of 19 items. The Cronbach α coefficient of the Chinese version of DSAS-2 was 0.879, the Cronbach α coefficient of three factors was 0.832, 0.815 and 0.844, respectively; the test-retest reliability was 0.835. The content validity index was 0.916. The scores of DSAS-2 correlated with the scores of Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire 8-Item Scale and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale (r=-0.452, 0.443, 0.412, P<0.01). Three factors were extracted by exploratory factor analysis and could explain 55.75% of the total variance. Conclusions The Chinese version of DSAS-2 has acceptable reliability and validity, which can be used to evaluate stigma among patients with type 2 diabetes in China. Key words: Diabetes mellitus, type 2; Stigma; Reliability; Validity