Development and Psychometric Testing of the Peer-Mentor Support Scale for Parents of Children With Type 1 Diabetes and for Youths With Type 1 Diabetes. Issue 2 (April 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sullivan-Bolyai, Susan; Bova, Carol; Johnson, Kimberly
• Is Part Of: Science of diabetes self-management and care. Volume 46:Issue 2(2020)
• Page Start: 191
• Page End: 196
• Publication Date: 2020-04
• Subjects: Diabetes -- Study and teaching -- Periodicals; Patient education -- Periodicals; 616.4620071
• DOI: 10.1177/0145721720907055
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2635-0114

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Peer-Mentor Support Scale (PMSS), a measure of peer-mentor support provided to parents of children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and to youths with T1D. Methods: A multistage process was undertaken to include the following: item construction based on qualitive data from those who have experienced peer-mentor support, cognitive interviewing with parents and youths, content validity assessment, pilot testing of the scale, and psychometric evaluation of the PMSS with 165 participants. Results: The final version of the PMSS included 17 items, scored on a 4-point Likert scale, with higher scores corresponding with greater peer-mentor support. The Cronbach's alpha was .85 (n = 165), and the intraclass correlation coefficient was .78 (n = 38). No significant relationship was found between the PMSS score and general social support, suggesting that peer-mentor support is distinct from general social support. Principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation was performed, indicating that the scale was unidimensional and explained 59.3% of the variance in peer-mentor support. Conclusion: The PMSS is a reliable and valid 17-item instrument that can be used to measure the unique contributions of peer mentorship for parents of children with T1DM and for youths with T1DM.