[The measurement of sense of competence in caregivers of patients with dementia]

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In the context of a cohort study on the socio-economic consequences of dementia in Belgium, we evaluated the validity, reliability and feasibility of the French version of the Dutch Sense of Competence questionnaire (SCQ), and of its short version (the SSCQ), in caregivers of demented patients The questionnaire was based on Zarit's burden interview and on a theoretical family-crisis model. METHODS: Construct validity was evaluated by factor analysis and by comparison of the results with those of the original SCQ study. Reliability was evaluated by Cronbach's alpha and by item-total correlations. Feasibility was assessed by a standardized index of missing values. RESULTS: The three domains found in the original SCQ were identified by factor analysis: consequences of involvement in care for the personal life of the caregiver, satisfaction with one's own performance as a caregiver and satisfaction with the elderly person as a recipient of care. The mean scores were similar to those in the original study, except for the consequences for personal life. Cronbach's alpha for both the SCQ and the SSCQ exceeded the 0.70 criterion. Two of the 27 items did not meet the item-total correlation criterion; the SSCQ items all met the criterion. The standardised index of missing values was deemed acceptable. CONCLUSIONS: The French versions of the SCQ and the SSCQ are valid and reliable. Like the Dutch version, the French version of the SCQ can be a useful outcome measure for the evaluation of intervention studies and the SSCQ is suitable for the daily practice