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.