Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Self-Care in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Inventory based on the Middle-Range Theory of Self-Care of Chronic Illness

Abstract

Aims: To test the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Self-Care in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Inventory on a sample of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in China.

Background: Measuring the self-care of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is vital to promote the performance of effective self-care behaviours. However, few instruments have been developed to measure self-care in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and the existing instruments lack theoretical support and satisfactory psychometrics properties. The Self-Care in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Inventory based on Middle-Range Theory of Self-Care of Chronic Illness has been developed and tested previously in Italian and US population.

Design: A cross-sectional instrument development study.

Methods: Construct validity was tested by confirmatory factor analysis and hypothesis testing, and reliability internal consistency using factor score determinacy coefficients.

Results: A convenience sample of 185 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was recruited from September 2020 to January 2022. The instrument consists of three scales: self-care maintenance, self-care monitoring and self-care management. Confirmatory factor analysis performed on the three scales produced good fit indices. The internal consistency was adequate with factor score determinacy coefficients ranging from 0.891 to 0.953 in Self-Care Maintenance Scale, 0.990 to 0.993 in Self-Care Monitoring Scale and 0.750 to 0.976 in Self-Care Management Scale.

Conclusions: The Chinese version of the Self-Care in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Inventory has acceptable reliability and validity. Some differences from the original instrument were identified. Further validation studies should be conducted to confirm the psychometric properties of the instrument in Chinese population.

Keywords: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; instrument translation; middle‐range theory; nurses; psychometric properties; self‐care; theory of self‐care of chronic illness.