Table 1.
Risk-related Beliefs for Developing Diabetes
| Construct Dimension |
Conceptual definition | Example items |
|---|---|---|
| Perceived Risk1 | Estimate of probability that one will develop diabetes at some point in the future | |
| Absolute Risk | Estimate of own risk without comparison to a reference group or standard8 |
On a scale from 0–100, how likely are you to develop diabetes at some point in your life? (numerical) How likely are you to develop diabetes at some point in your life? (not at all likely – very likely; verbal) |
| Comparative Risk | Estimate of own risk compared to a reference group or standard8 | Compared to others of your same age and sex, how likely are you to develop diabetes at some point in your life? (less likely – more likely) |
| Risk Affect/Worry | Judgment of how at risk one feels, or how much one worries about the threat18, 116 | To what extent do you worry about getting diabetes? |
| Perceived Severity | Perception of how serious getting diabetes would be | Getting diabetes would be a serious health problem |
| Personal Control | Belief that one’s own behavior has an effect on the risk of developing diabetes | My personal efforts will help control my risk of getting diabetes |
1We use perceived risk to label this construct. Other terms, often used interchangeably in the literature, include susceptibility, vulnerability,
or likelihood