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Translation and validation of the Danish version of the brief family assessment measure III in a sample of acutely admitted elderly medical patients
Author(s) -
Shamali Mahdi,
Konradsen Hanne,
Lauridsen Jørgen T.,
Østergaard Birte
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of caring sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.678
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1471-6712
pISSN - 0283-9318
DOI - 10.1111/scs.12541
Subject(s) - cronbach's alpha , danish , construct validity , clinical psychology , confirmatory factor analysis , scale (ratio) , psychological intervention , psychometrics , rating scale , medicine , psychology , reliability (semiconductor) , population , psychiatry , gerontology , structural equation modeling , developmental psychology , philosophy , linguistics , statistics , physics , mathematics , power (physics) , environmental health , quantum mechanics
Rationale and objective Family functioning plays a pivotal role in the adaptation to illness of both individuals and families, especially among elderly patients. The Brief Family Assessment Measure Third Edition (Brief FAM ‐ III ) is among the most frequently used self‐report instruments that measures family functioning. However, no Danish translation or measure of its psychometric properties in a Danish population is available. The purpose of this study was to translate the Brief FAM ‐ III into Danish and then evaluate its psychometric properties in elderly patients. Methods The Brief FAM ‐ III was translated into Danish using the forward–backward translation procedure and examined its psychometric properties in 60 elderly patients (aged over 65) consecutively admitted to an acute medical ward. Internal consistency reliability was assessed by Cronbach's alpha coefficients, and confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine the construct validity of the Brief FAM ‐ III . Results Evaluation of the Danish version of the Brief FAM ‐ III confirmed the three‐factor structure (General Scale, Self‐Rating Scale and Dyadic Relationships Scale) identified in the original instrument. However, goodness‐of‐fit indicators showed a relatively poor model fit. Cronbach's alpha for the total scales of Brief FAM ‐ III was 0.94 suggesting good internal consistency. Conclusions The Danish version of the Brief FAM ‐ III demonstrated satisfactory validity and reliability to assess family functioning among acutely admitted elderly Danish patients. We suggest that it may also be useful for monitoring family functioning over time or determining the effects of therapeutic interventions in elderly medical patients; however, further testing is recommended.