Abstract
ObjectiveTo examine the psychometric properties of the Arthritis Body Experience Scale (ABES) in a US sample of people with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia and other rheumatic conditions.MethodsThe ABES, with the scoring direction modified, was phone-administered to 937 individuals who self-identified as having one or more arthritis conditions based on a validated, US, national survey assessment tool. Descriptive statistics of demographic variables and factor analysis of scale items were conducted. Scale dimensionality was assessed using principal component analysis (PCA) with oblique rotation. Criteria for assessing factors were eigenvalues > 1, visual assessment of scree plot, and structure and pattern matrices.ResultsThe predominantly female (74.2%) and Caucasian (79.9%) sample had a mean age of 61.0 ± 13.1 years, and a mean BMI of 30.2 ± 7.1. Major arthritis conditions reported were rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia. A three-factor structure with cronbach alpha values of .84, .85 and .53 was elicited, and accounted for 72% of the variance.DiscussionCompared to the two-factor structure evidenced by the original ABES scale in a sample of UK adults, the data from this sample evidenced a three-factor structure with higher variance. The third factor’s cronbach alpha of .53 was low and could be improved by the addition of salient questions derived from further qualitative interviews with patients with arthritis and other rheumatic conditions and from current literature findings.ConclusionThe observed psychometrics indicate the scale usefully assesses body image in populations with arthritis and related conditions. However, further testing and refinement is needed to determine its utility in clinical and other settings.
Highlights
Arthritis and related rheumatic diseases encompass more than 100 conditions, and in addition to pain and inflammation, are often associated with deformity and body disfigurement [1, 2]
We present the first analysis and psychometrics of an arthritis-specific body image instrument, the Arthritis Body Experience Scale (ABES), in a U.S population
The study documents that the ABES does measure aspects of body image important to people with arthritis and other rheumatic conditions and finds that it can be effectively used as a phone-based instrument
Summary
Arthritis and related rheumatic diseases encompass more than 100 conditions, and in addition to pain and inflammation, are often associated with deformity and body disfigurement [1, 2]. Body disfigurement has been linked to depression, poor self esteem, negative body image perceptions, and unhealthy health behaviors [3,4,5]. With respect to arthritis and related rheumatic conditions, there are currently “no well validated measures of appearance that have been extensively used with patients with rheumatic diseases” [6]. This is of concern since many types of arthritis and rheumatic conditions affect physical appearance, and physical appearance concerns are associated with negative body image perceptions, engagement in self-management, and health
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