title: Calibrating EASY-Care independence scale to improve accuracy.
abstract: there is currently limited support for the reliability and validity of the EASY-Care independence scale, with little work carried out in low- or middle-income countries. Therefore, we assessed the internal construct validity and hierarchical and classical scaling properties among frail dependent older people in the community.
  
  
  
  we assessed the internal construct validity and hierarchical and classical scaling properties among frail dependent older people in the community.
  
  
  
  three primary care physicians administered EASY-Care comprehensive geriatric assessment for 150 frail and/or dependent older people in the primary care setting. A Mokken model was applied to investigate hierarchical scaling properties of EASY-Care independence scale, and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha) of the scale was also examined.
  
  
  
  we found that EASY-Care independence scale is highly internally consistent and is a strong hierarchical scale, hence providing strong evidence for unidimensionality. However, two items in the scale (unable to use telephone and manage finances) had much lower item Loevinger H coefficients than others. Exclusion of these two items improved the overall internal consistency of the scale.
  
  
  
  the strong performance of the EASY-Care independence scale among community-dwelling frail older people is encouraging. This study confirms that EASY-Care independence scale is highly internally consistent and a strong hierarchical scale.
authors: Indian Institute of Public Health, Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana 500033, India.|Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London SE58AF, UK.
authors: A T
authors: AT
authors: Jotheeswaran
authors: Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Goa Medical College, Goa, India.
authors: Amit
authors: A
authors: Dias
authors: Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, Hull, UK.
authors: Ian
authors: I
authors: Philp
authors: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Centre for Global Mental Health, London, UK.|Sangath, Goa, India.
authors: Vikram
authors: V
authors: Patel
authors: Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, and Centre for Global Mental Health, King's College London, London, UK.
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Prince
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D003858:Dependency, Psychological; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D016330:Frail Elderly / Q000523:psychology*; D000073496:Frailty / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living / Q000523:psychology*; D015588:Observer Variation; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011379:Prognosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
keywords: India; ageing; dependence; dependence scale; independence; older people