Changes in Coping Behavior and the Relationship to Personality, Health Threat Communication and Illness Perceptions from the Diagnosis of Diabetes: A 2-year Prospective Longitudinal Study.

Coping behavior is of critical importance in diabetes because of its impact upon self-care and hence eventual medical outcome. We examined how coping behavior and its relationship to personality, diabetes health threat communication (DHTC) and illness representations changes after diagnosis of diabetes. Newly diagnosed diabetic patients were assessed after diagnosis and at 6, 12 and 24 months using the DHTC, Illness Perceptions and Coping inventory questionnaires.

Development of the Diabetes Health Threat Communication Questionnaire (DHTCQ).

Objectives: (1) To develop a brief instrument, the Diabetes Health Threat Communication Questionnaire (DHTCQ) to measure diabetes patients' (type1 and type 2) perceptions of the health threat communication process (i) at time of diagnosis and (ii) since diagnosis; (2) to assess the measure' psychometric properties.

Methods: Data from a pilot study (n=110) and a prospective longitudinal study (n=158, within 3 months of diagnosis and n=147, 6 months after baseline) were examined in order to demonstrate reliability and validity of the DHTCQ.

Results: Principal components factor analysis revealed 2 meaningful factors (Reassurance and Threat) with satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach' alpha) and adequate test-retest reliability.