Psychometric Evaluation of the Self-Care in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Inventory in the United States

Background: High quality self-care among individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) promotes better outcomes, however, there are few validated self-care measures that are psychometrically sound to be used in research.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to examine the psychometric properties of the Self-Care in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Inventory (SC-COPDI) in an English-speaking population in the United States.

Methods: Factorial validity, construct validity and reliability of the SCCOPDI were examined using components analysis via principal components analysis, hypothesis testing via multivariate linear regression, Cronbach's alpha, and split-half reliability.

Results: The SCCOPDI demonstrated strong evidence of validity and reliability on par with the SCCOPDI's original construction. Component analysis produced item loadings consistent with the theoretical underpinnings of the instrument. Reliability metrics yielded good internal consistency across all subscales of the SCCOPDI.

Conclusions: The SCCOPDI is a valid and reliable instrument to measure self-care in people with COPD.