title: Investigating the factor structure of the Illness Perception Questionnaire-revised for substance dependence among injecting drug users in China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised (IPQ-R) has commonly been used to measure illness representations of various diseases. The present study examined whether the original factor structure of the IPQ-R could be confirmed or a new structure could be established on substance dependence among injecting drug users (IDU) in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 257 IDU completed the 38-item IPQ-R on substance dependence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed that the 7-factor structure as proposed by the original IPQ-R reported poor goodness-of-fit statistics. Although removal of 12 items improved the model fit, the goodness-of-fit statistics were still below acceptable standards. Furthermore, factors obtained from the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of the IPQ-R were not interpretable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The CFA found that the original IPQ-R factor structure fit the data poorly. Factors derived from EFA were also not interpretable. Use of the IPQ-R for assessment of illness representations of substance dependence among IDU in China is cautioned until further validation.
authors: Centre for Health Behaviours Research, JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong; The Chinese University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China.
authors: Phoenix K H
authors: PK
authors: Mo
authors: Centre for Health Behaviours Research, JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong; The Chinese University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China; Centre for Medical Anthropology and Behavioral Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China. Electronic address: jlau@cuhk.edu.hk.
authors: Joseph T F
authors: JT
authors: Lau
authors: Centre for Health Behaviours Research, JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong.
authors: Kit Man
authors: KM
authors: Cheng
authors: Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong.
authors: Winnie W S
authors: WW
authors: Mak
authors: Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Gu
authors: Department of Psychology, University of Macau, Macao, China.
authors: Anise M S
authors: AM
authors: Wu
authors: Centre for Health Behaviours Research, JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong.
authors: Jinghua
authors: J
authors: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D055030:Drug Users / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010465:Perception; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: China; Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised (IPQ-R); Illness representations; Injecting drug users; Substance dependence; Substance use