Validation of the international 7-item falls efficacy scale in portuguese community-dwelling older adults ; Validação da falls efficacy scale internacional 7 itens em idosos portugueses residentes na comunidade

Objective: to determine the psychometric properties of the international 7-item Falls Efficacy Scale. Method: a psychometric study. Convenience sample consisting of 170 older adults living in the Madeira Autonomous Region, Portugal. A two-part instrument was used (sociodemographic characterization and the Falls Efficacy Scale-International-Portugal). The starting point was the translation and transcultural adaptation already carried out for the Falls Efficacy Scale – International (16 items). Construct validity (factorial analysis and discriminant validity) and the reliability (Cronbach’s α) of the 7-item scale were evaluated. Previous authorization was obtained from the Ethics Commission and from the people involved. Results: in the exploratory factorial analysis, the International 7-item Falls Efficacy Scale presents an explained variance of 65.8%. The Spearman’s correlation between the score obtained based on the 7 items and the score obtained based on the 16 items is significant and very strong (r=0.987, p<0.0001). Internal consistency was 0.958. Conclusion: the validity and reliability study of the International 7-item Falls Efficacy Scale revealed that it is an adequate scale for the evaluation of the fear of falling in the community-dwelling older adults. ; Objetivo: determinar as propriedades psicométricas da Falls Efficacy Scale Internacional 7 itens. Método: estudo psicométrico. Amostra de conveniência, de 170 idosos residentes em Região Autónoma da Madeira, Portugal. Recorreu-se a instrumento constituído por duas partes (caracterização sociodemográfica e a Falls Efficacy Scale Internacional Portugal). Partiu-se da tradução e adaptação transcultural já realizada para a Falls Efficacy Scale Internacional (16 itens). Avaliou-se a validade de constructo (análise fatorial e validade discriminante) e a confiabilidade (α de Cronbach) da escala de 7 itens. Obteve-se previamente autorização da Comissão de Ética e das pessoas envolvidas. Resultados: na análise fatorial exploratória a Falls Efficacy Scale ...