This study aims to develop and validate a disease-specific self-care measurement scale for patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The research follows a sequential mixed-methods design: a qualitative phase to identify key self-care concepts, followed by a quantitative phase to test the psychometric properties of the newly developed SC-IBD scale in an outpatient population.
This study is designed to develop and validate the SC-IBD scale, a disease-specific instrument for measuring self-care in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The project uses a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews will be conducted with outpatients diagnosed with IBD to explore their experiences of self-care across the three theoretical dimensions described in the Middle-Range Theory of Self-Care of Chronic Illness: maintenance, monitoring, and management. The qualitative findings will inform item generation and content validity assessment through a multidisciplinary expert panel. The quantitative phase will include the administration of the preliminary SC-IBD scale to an outpatient cohort in order to evaluate its psychometric properties, including construct validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability. Additional validated instruments (DASS-21, SF-12, BIPQ, IBD-Control, and the Short Food Literacy Questionnaire) will be used to assess convergent and divergent validity and to describe relevant psychological, clinical and behavioral correlates of self-care in IBD. The ultimate goal of the study is to produce a reliable, valid, and clinically useful tool for assessing self-care behaviors in individuals living with IBD, supporting both research and clinical practice.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
275
Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS
Roma, RM, Italy
Psychometric Validation of the SC-IBD Scale
Assessment of the psychometric properties of the SC-IBD scale, including internal consistency (e.g., McDonald's Omega), construct validity (exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses), content validity, convergent and divergent validity, and test-retest reliability. Analyses will determine whether the scale reliably and validly measures self-care behaviors in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
Time frame: Baseline to 3 months
Qualitative Themes of Self-Care in Patients with IBD
Qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews to identify recurring themes and patterns of self-care behaviors across the dimensions of self-care maintenance, monitoring, and management, based on the Middle-Range Theory of Self-Care of Chronic Illness. Findings inform the generation and refinement of SC-IBD scale items.
Time frame: Baseline
Psychological Distress Measured by DASS-21
Assessment of depression, anxiety, and stress using the DASS-21 validated Italian version. Scores will be used to evaluate convergent and divergent validity of the SC-IBD scale and explore associations between self-care and psychological distress.
Time frame: Baseline
Health-Related Quality of Life Assessed by SF-12
Measurement of physical and mental health components through the SF-12 questionnaire to evaluate relationships between self-care behaviors and quality of life, supporting the SC-IBD validity analysis.
Time frame: Baseline
Illness Perception Measured by BIPQ
Evaluation of cognitive and emotional representations of illness using the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire. Correlations with the SC-IBD scale will be used to assess construct validity.
Time frame: Baseline
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Perceived Disease Control Measured by IBD-Control
Assessment of patient-reported control of IBD using the validated Italian version of the IBD-Control questionnaire (extended form with VAS). Used to explore relationships between perceived disease control and self-care behaviors.
Time frame: Baseline
Food Literacy Assessed by the Short Food Literacy Questionnaire
Measurement of food literacy using the SFLQ (Italian version). Results will help determine whether food literacy acts as a determinant or moderator of self-care in patients with IBD and evaluate convergent validity of the SC-IBD scale.
Time frame: Baseline