Developing an instrument for identifying coping strategies used by the elderly to remain autonomous.
OBJECTIVE
Behavioral or cognitive coping strategies may be defined as attitudes developed via life experience to minimize the functional impacts of an impairment or disability that thereby enable the elderly to continue participating in their social environment. The objective of this study was to develop an instrument that was capable of identifying the ways and methods used by the elderly whenever obstacles arise and to assess four psychometric qualities.


METHODS
The Inventory of Coping Strategies Used by the Elderly is a questionnaire that includes a list of almost 100 behavioral and cognitive strategies. It is based on two Likert scales: the frequency of use of a given strategy and the satisfaction felt by the person whenever he or she used the strategy in an everyday situation.


RESULTS
Reliability analysis showed intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.80-0.89. Discriminant analysis showed that the inventory differentiated the seniors' club subjects from the other three groups. This first survey involved a sample of 64 subjects aged > or =65 yr, classified among four subgroups of different levels of autonomy. Content validation was performed with the assistance of four experts in gerontology and measurement and evaluation. Internal consistency analysis made it possible to select the items in relation to which items correlated most with the overall score from among the initial list of 114 items.


CONCLUSIONS
This instrument will enable health professionals to familiarize themselves with the coping strategies of both normal seniors and those who are involved in the adaptation and rehabilitation process. When such strategies are lacking, action should be taken to develop or reinforce them to prevent the loss of autonomy.
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003071:Cognition; D003142:Communication; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011594:Psychometrics; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D017748:Time Management