The reliability and validity of the revised Diabetes Family Conflict Scale questionnaire, in a sample of Swedish children

Aim The overall aim of the study was to assess the psychometric properties of the revised Diabetes Family Conflict Scale (DFCS), in a Swedish sample of children, mothers and fathers. A second aim was to analyse maternal and paternal effects separately. Methods One hundred and fifty-nine families from two diabetes centres participated in the study. The revised DFCS was administered to children aged 8–18 years and their parents. Internal consistency of the scale was measured with Cronbach's alpha, and its concurrent validity was evaluated using bivariate correlations. Independent t-tests were performed to test for differences between mother- and father reports. Results The revised DFCS total scale exceeded the criteria for satisfactory internal consistency for the child-, mother- and father reports, as did the subscale direct management, with α-values ranging from 0.72 to 0.81. Furthermore, a higher level of reported conflict on the total scale was associated with poorer metabolic control, thus confirming concurrent validity of the instrument. This was true for mother-, father- and child reports. Conclusion In summary, the study concludes that the revised DFCS can be utilized as a valuable tool both in a research setting and in clinical practice.