Abstract
Purpose: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major health challenge in the United States, affecting over 36 million Americans exceeding $105 billion annually in treatment-related costs.1,2 Type 2 diabetes affects some populations more than others, including rural and veteran populations.1,3 Registered dietitians (RDs) are an integral part of the diabetes management team, but limited literature is available to identify perceived barriers to T2DM management in military veterans who preside in rural areas. The purpose of this study was to explore face and content validity of a survey tool distributed to Veterans Health Administration (VHA) dietitians in a separate study to obtain their perspectives on barriers and facilitators to rural veterans’ successful management of T2DM. Methods: Five RDs completed the content validity survey, which consisted of scoring survey items based on a 1-4 level of agreement, attending to the clarity and flow of survey items to achieve face and content validity. The RDs then participated in a follow-up focus group to expound on survey results and to obtain narrative feedback about the survey tool. Survey results were scored through methodologies described by Yusoff4 for face and content validity. Focus group comments were combined with survey results to inform changes to the primary survey. Results: A content validity score of 1.0 was calculated and content validity was achieved based on cutoff scores identified in the literature.4 A face validity score of 0.977 was calculated and indicated face validity was achieved based on cut off scores as well as narrative feedback from the expert panel.5 Changes to the survey included the addition of items related to social media influence, as well as diabetic device accessibility and use. Conclusion: The survey tool demonstrates adequate face and content validity for a survey tool to obtain registered dietitians’ perceived barriers and facilitators to type 2 diabetes management in rural veterans. To our knowledge, this is the first tool of its kind and may serve as a template for other health disciplines to add to the body of literature related to working with the rural veteran population.
Acknowledgements
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Recommended Citation
Tade J, Shotwell M, Lategan-Potgieter R, Jacobson MR. Face and Content Validity of a Survey Tool to Measure Perceived Barriers and Facilitators to Diabetes Management in Rural Veterans: Perspectives of Registered Dietitians. The Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice. 2026 Mar 03;24(1), Article 5.
