title: Reliability and validity of the EASYCare-2010 Standard to assess elderly people in Portuguese Primary Health Care.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The EASYCare is a multidimensional assessment tool for older people, which corresponds to the concerns and priorities of older people in relation to their needs, health, and quality of life. The EASYCare instrument has been used in many countries worldwide. Lack of reliability evidence has recently been raised by researchers. This study aimed to test the validity and reliability of the EASYCare-2010 instrument in community-dwelling Portuguese older people attended in Primary Health Care centres.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample for this transversal study (N=244) was collected from Portuguese Primary Health Care Centers. Categorical Principal Component Analysis was used to assess the underlying dimensions of EASYCare-2010. Construct validity was evaluated through correlation with the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment Instrument-Short Form.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A two-factor model (labelled "mobility and activities of daily life", and "general well-being and safety") was found. The EASYCare-2010 instrument showed acceptable levels for internal consistency (≥0.70). The EASYCare-2010 factors were correlated with measures of quality of life. Results showed that in most polytomous items, some of the more extreme categories were not considered at all or only by a residual number of participants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EASY Care -2010 version is a valid and reliable instrument for holistic assessment of the older people attended in Primary Health Care centres in Portugal.
authors.affiliation: ESSUA - Health School, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal; CINTESIS - Center for Health Technology and Services Research, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: mpiedade@ua.pt.
authors.forename: Maria Piedade
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Brandão
authors.affiliation: University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Warwick Business School, Coventry, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Philp
authors.affiliation: ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas de Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Margarida Fonseca
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Cardoso
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
keywords: Atención primaria de salud; Confiabilidad y validez; Evaluación geriátrica; Geriatric assessment; Primary health care; Reliability and validity