Dimensionality and scale properties of the Edinburgh Depression Scale (EDS) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: the DiaDDzoB study
2011

Edinburgh Depression Scale in Type 2 Diabetes Patients

Sample size: 1656 publication 10 minutes Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): de Cock Evi SA, Emons Wilco HM, Nefs Giesje, Pop Victor JM, Pouwer François

Primary Institution: Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands

Hypothesis

The study aims to investigate the measurement properties of the Edinburgh Depression Scale (EDS) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Conclusion

The EDS is a reliable tool for measuring depression in patients with type 2 diabetes, applicable to both males and females.

Supporting Evidence

  • The EDS was found to be unidimensional and reliable for measuring depression.
  • Three items showed differential item functioning, but this did not significantly affect the overall scale.
  • Anhedonia and sleeping problems were the most informative indicators for differentiating depression severity.

Takeaway

This study shows that a questionnaire can help doctors find out if people with diabetes are feeling very sad or depressed.

Methodology

The study used factor analysis and item response theory to examine the dimensionality, gender-related item bias, and screening properties of the EDS.

Potential Biases

Significant differential item functioning was found for some items, but it had little practical impact on the overall results.

Limitations

The study did not include clinical diagnoses from psychiatric interviews, which limits the ability to calculate sensitivity and specificity.

Participant Demographics

The sample consisted of 1,656 patients, 50% male, with a mean age of 66 years.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.001

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-244X-11-141

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