Research & development
Three studies and more than a decade of work produced today's 20-item TRAQ. Researchers around the world have since used it with youth with diabetes, IBD, heart disease, sickle cell disease, spina bifida, lupus, epilepsy, asthma and more.
How the TRAQ evolved
- 2009–2011
The original TRAQ is validated
Developed at the University of Florida–Jacksonville (JaxHATS). Given to 192 youth with special health care needs, ages 16–26, across three diagnostic groups. Factor analysis supported its use to assess readiness and guide education.
- 2014
TRAQ 5.0: from 29 to 20 items
With 269 youth, factor analysis and related methods cut the scale to 20 items. Responsive to age (a proxy for cognitive maturity) and to transition interventions.
- 2019
TRAQ-SB, a spina bifida module, with UAB
Developed with the UAB spina bifida team, including Betsy Hopson, to measure condition-specific self-management such as shunt, skin, bowel and bladder care.
- 2021
TRAQ 6.0
Revised wording and items, more sensitive across the full range of readiness in four domains. Published in the Journal of Pediatric Nursing.
- 2025
A new home at UAB
The TRAQ moves from East Tennessee State University to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, still managed by Dr. David Wood.
Reliability of TRAQ 6.0
Cronbach's alpha for the 20-item scale and its four subscales (Johnson et al., 2021).
Bars show α on a 0–1 scale. Values ≥ 0.70 are generally considered acceptable.
What's next
Future work includes larger, more diverse samples followed over time; links between TRAQ scores and self-management, self-determination and outcomes such as connecting with adult providers; and longitudinal analyses of predictive validity.
Core TRAQ publications
Please cite the 2021 paper when you use TRAQ 6.0, and the earlier papers when you describe its development.
TRAQ Changes: Improving the Measurement of Transition Readiness by the TRAQ
Johnson K, McBee M, Reiss J, Livingood W, Wood D. J Pediatr Nurs. 2021;59:188-195.
doi:10.1016/j.pedn.2021.04.019 ↗The TRAQ: Its Factor Structure, Reliability, and Validity
Wood DL, Sawicki GS, Miller MD, Smotherman C, Lukens-Bull K, Livingood WC, Ferris M, Kraemer DF. Acad Pediatr. 2014;14(4):415-422.
doi:10.1016/j.acap.2014.03.008 ↗Measuring the Transition Readiness of Youth with Special Healthcare Needs
Sawicki GS, Lukens-Bull K, Yin X, Demars N, Huang IC, Livingood W, Reiss J, Wood D. J Pediatr Psychol. 2011;36(2):160-171.
doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsp128 ↗TRAQ Spina Bifida (TRAQ-SB) module and its association with clinical outcomes
Wood D, Rocque B, Hopson B, Barnes K, Johnson KR. J Pediatr Rehabil Med. 2019;12:405-413.
doi:10.3233/PRM-180595 ↗Reliability and validity of a spina bifida-specific TRAQ supplement
Johnson K, Rocque B, Hopson B, Barnes K, Omoike OE, Wood D. J Pediatr Rehabil Med. 2019;12:415-422.
doi:10.3233/PRM-180599 ↗Published research
A selection of studies from around the world. Missing yours? Add it.
Share your work with the TRAQ community
If you've published or presented a study that uses the TRAQ, tell us and we'll add it to this list. Researchers who use the TRAQ are also invited to share appropriately de-identified TRAQ data, which helps us keep validating and improving the instrument across populations.
Planning a study?
Please register and tell us how you plan to use the TRAQ. We're happy to help with study design, translation and data sharing.
Thank you!
We'll review it and add it to the list.