The best internal structure of the Diabetes Quality of Life Measure (DQOL) in Brazilian patients.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is considered a chronic disease with numerous secondary complications that negatively affect the quality of life of patients. However, the specific, known and validated instruments for Brazilian Portuguese are too extensive, which often makes their use infeasible. OBJECTIVE: To validate the internal structure of the Brazilian version of the Diabetes Quality of Life (DQOL) measure. METHODOLOGY: Patients with DM type 1 or 2, between the ages of 18 and 76, were evaluated between April 2022 and May 2022. The survey was conducted online using the Google Forms platform. The original DQOL contains 46 multiple-choice questions organized into four domains. For structural validity, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed using RStudio software (Boston, MA, USA) with the packages lavaan and semPlot. RESULTS: A total of 354 subjects were evaluated. The 3-domain, 24-item version of the DQOL was the most adequate, with acceptable values for all fit indices (chi-square/GL < 3, TLI and CFI > 0.90, and RMSEA and SRMR < 0.08). CONCLUSION: The structure with three domains and 24 items is the most appropriate based on factor analysis. The Brazilian version of the DQOL with a structure of 3 domains and 24 items has adequate measurement properties that support its use in the clinical and scientific context in patients with DM.

Translation, Cross-Cultural Adaptation, and Validation of the Hypertension Self-Care Profile (HBP-SCP) for the Brazilian Population

Abstract Background Self-care in the management of systemic arterial hypertension (SAH) is crucial, and validated instruments can help researchers and health professionals to plan strategies to improve self-care in people with SAH. Objective The main objective of this study was to translate, cross-culturally adapt, and validated the Hypertension Self-Care Profile (HBP-SCP) for Brazilian Portuguese. Methods The translation and cross-cultural adaptation was performed in five phases, and the pre-final version was tested in 30 individuals, native speakers of Portuguese with a diagnosis of hypertension. The final version was administered in 100 individuals. The inclusion criteria were: diagnosis of SAH, characterized by systolic arterial blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg and/or diastolic arterial blood pressure ≥ 90mmHg, regular use of antihypertensive medications and over 18 years of age. The present study also used two other questionnaires, previously validated for the Brazilian population, to verify the validity of the construct, the Healthy Habits Perception Questionnaire (HHPQ) and the Quality of Life in Hypertension Mini-Questionnaire (MINICHAL-BRASIL). Results During the translation and cross-cultural adaptation phase, there were no disagreements. Adequate reliability — intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) ≥ 0.89, standard error of measurement (SEM) % ≤ 4.34, minimum detectable change (MDC) % ≤ 12.04 — and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha ≥ 0.75) were observed. The behavior domain of HBP-SCP obtained significant correlations (p < 0.05) with the self-efficacy domain and HHPQ; the motivation domain with the self-efficacy domain; and the self-efficacy domain with the somatic manifestation domain of MINICHAL-BRASIL. No ceiling and floor effects were observed. Conclusions The Brazilian Portuguese version of the HBP-SCP has adequate psychometric properties, according to the best scientific recommendations.

Identificação de elementos de vulnerabilidade da placa coronária por tomografia computadorizada e ressonância magnética / Elements identification of coronary plaque vulnerability for computadorized tomograph and magnetic ressonance

Há cerca de dez anos, foi introduzido o conceito de placa coronária instável como aquela que, independentemente do grau de obstrução que promova sobre a luz arterial, se relaciona com a incidência de eventos coronários, tais como angina instável, infarto do miocárdio com ou sem onda Q e morte súbita. Este assunto tem sido alvo de intensa pesquisa, e um dos aspectos que desperta maior interesse é a caracterização anatômica destas placas. Alguns autores têm proposto a realização de exames invasivos, tais como ultra-som intracoronário, medida da temperatura da placa e até tomografia computadorizada de coerência óptica. Todavia, estes exames proporcionam desconforto aos pacientes e apresentam resultados ainda conflitantes...

Identificação de elementos de vulnerabilidade da placa coronária por tomografia cmputadorizada e resonância magnética / Identification of vulnerable elements of coronary plaque by tomography and magnetic resonance cmputadorizada

Há cerca de 10 anos foi introduzido o conceito de placa coronária instável, como aquela que, independentemente do grau de obstrução que promova sobre a luz arterial, relacione-se à incidência de eventos coronários, tais como angina instável, infarto do miocárdio com ou sem onda Q e morte súbita...