Table 2.
Factor loadings of the diabetes distress scale
| Subscales | Items | Factor loadings (standardized regression weights) |
|---|---|---|
| Core level of distress | 1. I feel burned out by all of the attention and effort that diabetes demands of me | 0.690 |
| 2. It bothers me that diabetes seems to control my life | 0.740 | |
| 3. I am frustrated that even when I do what I am supposed to for my diabetes, it doesn’t seem to make a difference | 0.747 | |
| 4. No matter how hard I try with my diabetes, it feels like it will never be good enough | 0.750 | |
| 5. I am so tired of having to worry about diabetes all the time | 0.818 | |
| 6. When it comes to my diabetes, I often feel like a failure | 0.863 | |
| 7. It depresses me when I realize that my diabetes will likely never go away | 0.813 | |
| 8. Living with diabetes is overwhelming for me | 0.800 | |
| Sources of distress | ||
| Hypoglycemia | 9. I am scared that I might have a serious low glucose event when I am out in public | 0.841 |
| 10. I worry a lot that I could have a serious low glucose event | 0.866 | |
| 11. I worry about having a serious low glucose event when I’m alone | 0.896 | |
| Long-term Health | 12. I worry a lot about developing serious complications from diabetes | 0.798 |
| 13. I can’t escape this sinking feeling that diabetes is eventually going to get me | 0.862 | |
| 14. No matter what I do, I fear that serious complications from diabetes will happen to me | 0.825 | |
| Healthcare Provider | 15. When it comes to medical care, it upsets me that I am mostly on my own with diabetes | 0.786 |
| 16. It upsets me that I’m not really heard or understood by my healthcare provider | 0.682 | |
| 17. It upsets me that my healthcare provider seems to care more about my glucose levels than about me as a person | 0.671 | |
| Interpersonal Issues | 18. When it comes to family and friends, it disappoints me that I am pretty much on my own with diabetes | 0.737 |
| 19. It frustrates me that people in my life tempt me to eat foods or do things that are not good for my diabetes | 0.828 | |
| 20. It hurts me that many people in my life don’t understand what living with diabetes is really like | 0.811 | |
| Shame/Stigma | 21. It makes me feel bad that I must hide my diabetes from others | 0.830 |
| 22. It upsets me that people in my life think less of me because I have diabetes | 0.843 | |
| 23. I often feel ashamed or embarrassed when other people know about my diabetes | 0.802 | |
| Healthcare Access | 24. I worry that I won’t be able to pay for my diabetes care, medicines or supplies | 0.769 |
| 25. I worry that I can’t get the healthy food I need for my diabetes | 0.828 | |
| 26. I worry about how hard it is get to my healthcare appointments or pharmacy | 0.805 | |
| Management Demands | 27. It frustrates me that my eating often feels out of control | 0.871 |
| 28. I worry that I don’t pay enough attention to my diabetes | 0.646 | |
| 29. It bothers me that I don’t get as much exercise as I should | 0.601 | |