Psychometric testing of the revised 15-item Bakas Caregiving Outcomes Scale.
BACKGROUND
Family caregivers of stroke survivors experience a variety of negative social, emotional, and health-related outcomes as a result of providing care.


OBJECTIVE
: To psychometrically test the revised 15-item Bakas Caregiving Outcomes Scale (BCOS) measuring life changes specifically resulting from providing care. The original 10-item BCOS was improved by adding five items addressing financial well-being, level of energy, role functioning, physical functioning, and general health.


METHODS
Psychometric testing of the revised 15-item BCOS using a sample of 147 family caregivers of stroke survivors approximately 4 months after stroke was conducted to determine the quality of the items, internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability, construct validity, and criterion-related validity. Most caregivers were women (78.9%), White (68.0%) or African American (29.9%), and either spouses (60.1%) or adult children (31.3%).


RESULTS
Satisfactory evidence of internal consistency (alpha = .90) and 2-week test-retest reliability (intraclass coefficient [ICC] = .66; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.42-0.81) was provided, with item-to-total correlations ranging from .41 to .74. Unidimensionality was supported by confirmatory factor analysis with indices, indicating a good fit. Using hierarchical multiple regression, 36% of the BCOS variance was explained by constructs in the conceptual model [F(11,132) = 6.72, p < .001]. Criterion-related validity was supported by correlations with the 36-item Short Form (SF-36) General Health Subscale (r = .32, p < .001) and a criterion variable measuring how caregivers' lives had changed overall (r = .67, p < .001).


CONCLUSIONS
The revised 15-item BCOS has evidence of satisfactory reliability and validity in family caregivers of stroke survivors. The BCOS is a valuable measure in research and can be used to identify priority areas for nursing interventions designed to improve caregivers' outcomes.
Bakas
Tamilyn
T
Indiana University School of Nursing, 1111 Middle Drive, NU 417, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA. tbakas@iupui.edu
Champion
Victoria
V
Perkins
Susan M
SM
Farran
Carol J
CJ
Williams
Linda S
LS
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001037:Aphasia / Q000209:etiology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013689:Telephone