Psychometric Characteristics of the Caregiver Contribution to Self-care of Heart Failure Index in a South American Population

BACKGROUND: Caregivers can contribute enormously to the self-care of patients with heart failure (HF). The Caregiver Contribution to Self-care of Heart Failure Index (CC-SCHFI) measures these contributions across 3 scales: self-care maintenance, which evaluates caregiver contributions to symptom monitoring and treatment adherence; self-care management, which evaluates caregiver contributions in dealing with symptoms; and caregiver confidence, which assesses caregiver self-efficacy in managing all contributions to self-care. Although the CC-SCHFI has been used in several investigations, only 1 study has evaluated its psychometric characteristics. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the CC-SCHFI in Brazil. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was used in this study. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess construct validity, and factor score determinacy coefficients were computed to evaluate internal consistency reliability. RESULTS: The sample comprised 99 caregivers of patients with HF. Most were women (73%), with a mean age of 48 ± 14 years; 57% were patients' spouses. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the original factor structure of the instrument, with supportive fit indices for all 3 scales (comparative fit index, 0.95-1.00; root-mean-square error of approximation, 0.00-0.057). Reliability estimates were adequate for each CC-SCHFI scale (0.77-0.96). CONCLUSIONS: The CC-SCHFI is a valid and reliable scale to measure caregiver contributions to self-care maintenance, caregiver contributions to self-care management, and caregiver confidence in HF.