Abstract

Background: Today, more than 90% of adolescents with chronic conditions survive into adulthood and move from pediatric care to adult care for the management of their chronic illness. It is important to grant autonomy and ensure that adolescents/young adults are ready to use the adult health care system prior to the transfer of care. However, the lack of a transition readiness assessment tool that is validated, patient-centered, and appropriate to developmental differences in pediatric care is a major obstacle for the transition of care from pediatric services to adult services.
Aims: This study examined the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire, which assesses the readiness for transition from pediatric to adult health care for adolescents/young adults with diabetes mellitus.
Study Design: Methodological study.
Methods: Participants were 109 adolescents/young adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus aged 14-21 years. After permission was obtained to adapt the Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire, the Turkish Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire and self-care scale were administered to participants through face-to-face interviews at two pediatric endocrinology clinics. Validity was evaluated by exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and content-scope validity assessment; reliability was evaluated by item-total score correlation and continuity methods. Internal reliability was assessed by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and criterion validity assessment.
Results: The item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis identified five basic dimensions, with high internal consistency (0.89-0.75). The ratio χ²/df and other conformity indices were a good fit to the data. The correlation coefficient in the analyses of test-retest scores was 0.86 for the total scale (p<0.05), and the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.88 for overall scale.
Conclusion: The Turkish Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire is a valid and reliable measure of the transition readiness of adolescents/young adults with diabetes mellitus in Turkey. The Transition Readiness Assessment Questionnaire assesses the self-management abilities and health care transition knowledge of adolescents/young adults with diabetes mellitus who need special health care. It can also serve as a guide for health care professionals in detecting the educational fields that are necessary for acquiring self-management and self-care abilities.