Measuring Memory Concerns Among Spanish-speakers from Spain and Latin America

Abstract

<h3>Research Objectives</h3> To examine the psychometric properties of a stand-alone memory concerns scale constructed from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Applied Cognition-General Concerns item bank among a sample of Spanish-speakers from Spain and Latin America. <h3>Design</h3> Cross-sectional analysis. <h3>Setting</h3> Web-based survey in a general community sample. <h3>Participants</h3> 396 individuals from Spain and Latin America were recruited through social media to complete an online survey regarding lifetime history of exposure to factors associated with central nervous system compromise. The sample was 69.4% female, and ages ranged from 18 to 75 (M=33.7, SD=12.7). <h3>Interventions</h3> Not applicable. <h3>Main Outcome Measures</h3> PROMIS Applied Cognition-Cognitive Concerns Scale 8-item short form v1.0 (CCS-8), Eight items from the PROMIS Applied Cognition-Cognitive Concerns item bank v1.0 dealing with memory concerns (Memory Concerns Scale; MCS), Ohio State University Traumatic Brain Injury Identification Method-Self-Administered-Brief, Other Sources of Central Nervous System (CNS) Compromise Questionnaire. <h3>Results</h3> The MCS had a high internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha=0.90). An exploratory factor analysis using maximum likelihood estimation with a Promax rotation containing the items from the CCS-8 and the MCS resulted in two factors demonstrating distinctiveness of the 8 memory items (MCS) from general cognitive concerns (CCS-8). Analysis of covariance controlling for age and education, showed that individuals endorsing a history of CNS compromise scored significantly higher on the MCS than those who did not report any such history, F(1,392)=7.02, p=0.008. <h3>Conclusions</h3> As a stand-alone self-report measure, the MCS appears to measure a construct distinct from general cognitive concerns with a capacity to differentiate among individuals with and without a history of CNS compromise. <h3>Author(s) Disclosures</h3> Authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.