From the Institute of Social Medicine (W.J.M.S. op R., J.M.A.P., G.A.M.
van den B.), the Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (R.J.
de H.), and the Department of Neurology (M.L.), University of Amsterdam (The
Netherlands).
Correspondence to W.J.M. Scholte op Reimer, Institute of Social Medicine (J3–309), Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 15, 1105 AZ Amsterdam; PO Box 22700, 1100 DE Amsterdam; The Netherlands. E-mail W.J.ScholteOpReimer{at}AMC.UVA.NL
Background and Purpose—The burden of
caregiving can be harmful to both carers' and patients' functional
health, but a specific instrument to assess the burden of caregiving as
experienced by carers of stroke patients is not yet available. The
Sense of Competence Questionnaire (SCQ), reliable and valid among
caregivers of dementia patients, was evaluated on its metric properties
in a population of partners of stroke patients.
Methods—As part of a multicenter study on quality of care, SCQ
burden scores of partners and functional health of patients were
assessed 6 months after stroke (group A; n=166). In this study group,
the reliability in terms of homogeneity, the construct validity, and
the clinical validity of the SCQ were evaluated. The test-retest
reliability was assessed in a separate group (group B; n=47). The
feasibility was examined in both study groups.
Results—The reliability of the total SCQ score was good
(Chronbach's
Conclusions—The SCQ is a reliable and valid instrument for
assessing burden of caregiving as experienced by partners of stroke
patients. It is suitable for use in cross-sectional stroke studies and
may help to identify partners at risk for high levels of burden and
caregiving-related problems.
© 1998 American Heart Association, Inc.
Original Contributions
Assessment of Burden in Partners of Stroke Patients With the Sense of Competence Questionnaire
coefficient=0.83; intraclass correlation
coefficient=0.93). Statistical support for construct validity was shown
by principal-components analysis. Clinical validity was
supported by the association between higher SCQ burden scores and
patients' impaired functional health: cognitive function
(P=.03), disability (P=.10), handicap
(P<.01), and quality of life
(P=.02).
Key Words: psychometrics • caregivers • stress • stroke management
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