Assessing fear of hypoglycemia among adults with type 1 diabetes – psychometric properties of the Norwegian version of the Hypoglycemia Fear Survey II questionnaire

Abstract

Background: Hypoglycemia is common in type 1 diabetes, but the overall frequency of both mild and severe hypoglycemia is difficult to estimate. The Hypoglycemia Fear Survey II (HFS-II) is often used to assess the fear of hypoglycemia. Material and methods: The aim of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Norwegian version of the HFS-II for adults, including the behavior (HFS-B) and worry (HFS-W) subscales, among 235 adults in Norway with type 1 diabetes. We assessed associations between HFS-II scores and other rating scales and demographic and clinical variables. Results: The Norwegian version of HFS-II had an acceptable factor structure in relation to HFS-W, whereas the structure within HFS-B was more questionable. The expected relationships between HFS-II subscales and measures of related constructs administered concurrently demonstrated adequate convergent and discriminant validity. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were satisfactory. Conclusion: Access to reliable and valid self-report instruments enables the early detection of psychosocial problems. HFS-W performs well, whereas HFS-B needs to be further examined and developed.