Validation of the Arabic Version of Diabetes Eating Problem Survey–Revised (DEPS-R) among Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes

Abstract

Disordered eating behaviors (DEBs) in type 1 diabetes (T1D) have been studied globally in different age groups. However, there is no validated diabetes-specific questionnaire in the Arabic language for the screening of DEBs. This study aimed to translate the Diabetes Eating Problem Survey–Revised scale (DEPS-R) into the Arabic language and study its psychometric properties in adolescents with T1D. We adopted the forward–backward procedure to translate the DEPS-R questionnaire into Arabic. The validation study enrolled 258 Saudi adolescents with T1D aged 12–18 years who completed the Arabic DEPS-R questionnaire and the EAT-26. The Arabic DEPS-R showed good construct validity and reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.86). The factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure of DEPS-R which explains 54.4 % of the variance. In total, 30.6% of the participants are at high risk for DEBs (DEPS-R score ≥ 20). The psychometric properties of the Arabic DEPS-R are satisfactory, consistent with the original scale and translations in other languages. These results support the validity of the Arabic DEPS-R for assessment of DEBs in the T1D Arabic population.

Disordered Eating Behaviors and Insulin Restriction in Saudi Adolescents and Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes

“…A DEB was assessed using a valid Arabic version of the questionnaire, The Diabetes Eating Problem Survey–Revised (DEPS-R), developed by Markowitz et al [ 8 ] and translated into Arabic by Hummadi et al [ 16 ]. This questionnaire contains 16 items, with scoring on a 6-point Likert scale, where “0” represents “never,” and “5” represents “always.” The total DEPS-R score can range from 0 to 80, with a cutoff point at ≥20, and with a higher score indicating a higher risk for an ED [ 8 ].…”