Background and purpose: This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Perception of Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes (PRF-T2DM), an instrument designed to measure awareness and vulnerability to diabetes and diabetes risk factors.
Methods: 248 individuals at increased risk for diabetes because of a positive family history completed the PRF-T2DM. The factor-structure, internal consistency reliability, and construct validity of the PRF-T2DM were examined.
Results: The 2-factor structure of the PRFT2DM was a good fit to our data. Overall Cronbach's alpha was .68. Pearson correlation between PRF-T2DM score and overall risk perception was significant (r = .26, p < .001). Replies to individual items supported the validity of the PRF-T2DM.
Conclusion: The PRF-T2DM performed modestly in this population. Refinement in scoring and score interpretation may improve reliability and validity of the instrument.