title: Psychometric testing of the Italian and French versions of the Care Dependency Scale.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to test psychometrically the Italian and French versions of the Care Dependency Scale.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The Care Dependency Scale assesses changes in patients' level of care dependency including important functional and mental dimensions. Evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Italian version is still ongoing. The French version has to date not been validated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nationwide cross-sectional point prevalence study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were extracted from the national, annual prevalence survey of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers and inpatient falls in Swiss acute care hospitals in 2011. A total of 799 Italian and 1068 French-speaking patients were included in the analysis. For the evaluation, the psychometric properties were tested for each language both separately and conjointly.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The scales revealed high internal consistency. Factor analysis presented a one-factor solution for both versions separately as well as combined. Comparison of internal structure revealed an excellent degree of equivalence between the versions. Highly significant Spearman correlations between the Care Dependency Scale and the Braden Scale sum scores indicated satisfactory criterion validity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both the Italian and the French versions of the Care Dependency Scale showed satisfactory psychometric properties and a high level of equivalence. Further psychometric testing, using modern test theory approaches, is required. However, the scale is recommended as a valid instrument for further use in Italian and French.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Simeon Joel
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7759-747X
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Zürcher
authors.affiliation: Department of Health, Bern University of Applied Sciences, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Christa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vangelooven
authors.affiliation: Department of Personality Psychology, Differential Psychology and Personality Assessment (PDD), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Borter
authors.affiliation: Department of Health, Bern University of Applied Sciences, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schnyder
authors.affiliation: Department of Health, Bern University of Applied Sciences, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2697-2014
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hahn
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000503:physiopathology; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Care Dependency Scale; French; Italian; instrument development; nursing; reliability; structural equivalence; validity