Development and Preliminary Validation of Questionnaire on Care Needs of Family Caregivers of Disabled Elderly People in China:a mixed methods study

Abstract

Abstract Background Ensuring the wellness of disabled elderly individuals requires prioritizing the care needs of their caregivers. However, current practice lacks validated tools to measure the needs of caregivers in a home environment. Thus, this study develops a questionnaire on the care needs of family caregivers of disabled older people in China and tests its reliability and validity. Methods We used a standard development process to generate the questionnaire. The pilot testing included cognitive interviews and surface validity assessments to ensure interpretation as intended. Then we used a cross-sectional study method to conveniently select 640 Chinese family caregivers of disabled elderly people from August 1, 2022, to June 11, 2023, for face-to-face investigation. Exploratory factor analysis aided in project reduction and factor estimation, with 30 participants undergoing retest evaluations every two weeks. Confirmatory factor analysis evaluated the structural validity of the model, while internal consistency and retest reliability determined the reliability. Results These tests established the model: content validity, surface validity, item analysis, and exploratory factor analysis. Six factors extracted from the initial analysis explained 62.891% of the observation variance. Confirmatory factor analysis showed good model fit and the questionnaire had good reliability and validity. The final questionnaire contains 21 items focusing on six dimensions: care assistance (three items), care environment (three items), care information (three items), formal support (four items), care ability (six items), and self-development (two items). Conclusion The care needs questionnaire for family caregivers of the disabled elderly is a good tool for evaluating the needs of family caregivers in their care activities.