Psychometric properties of the dementia knowledge assessment scale-traditional Chinese among home care workers in Taiwan

Huei-Chuan Sung,Hsin-Feng Su,Raymond Y Lo,Malcolm Koo,Hsiu-Mei Wang

doi:10.1186/s12888-021-03530-6

Huei-Chuan Sung, Hsin-Feng Su + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-021-03530-6

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Journal: BMC Psychiatry	Publication Date: Oct 19, 2021
Citations: 8	License type: open-access

Affiliation: Tzu Chi University, Hualien Tzu Chi Medical Center

Abstract

BackgroundThe Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale (DKAS) is a reliable and valid measurement of dementia knowledge for diverse allied health professionals but its traditional Chinese version has not been formally validated yet. The purpose of this study was to translate the DKAS from English to traditional Chinese and evaluate its psychometric properties among home care workers in Taiwan.MethodsThe DKAS scale was translated into traditional Chinese through a forward translation and back translation process following the cross-cultural translation guideline. A total of 285 home care workers in eastern Taiwan were recruited using convenience sample. A total of 252 participants completed the questionnaires, giving a response rate of 88.4%. We tested the construct validity by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and evaluated the reliability by internal consistency.ResultsThe results of the CFA supported the 25-item, four-factor model for the DKAS-TC. The DKAS-TC achieved a good overall Cronbach’s alpha of .93 and McDonald’s omega of 0.94 with acceptable subscales McDonald’s omega ranged from .77 to .82.ConclusionsThe DKAS-TC has adequate construct validity and reliability and can serve as an assessment tool to evaluate the knowledge level of home care workers in a dementia training program in Taiwan. The dementia knowledge level among home care workers in Taiwan was inadequate. There is a need for developing suitable dementia care training tailored to their learning needs and educational levels, and to improve their quality of care for those with dementia.

Highlights

Due to the global population aging, the number of people with dementia is increasing rapidly
Our study found that home care workers had lowest mean scores on two items: “blood vessel disease is the most common form of dementia” and “the sudden onset of cognitive problems is characteristic of common forms of dementia”
Future research is recommended to reconfirm the validity and reliability of the Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale-Traditional Chinese (DKAS-TC) with other health professionals in Taiwan or countries where traditional Chinese is official language. To our knowledge, this is the first study that examined the psychometric properties of the Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale (DKAS)-TC in a sample of home care workers in Taiwan

Summary

Introduction

Due to the global population aging, the number of people with dementia is increasing rapidly. There are over 50 million people living with dementia currently worldwide and the number is estimated to reach 152 million by 2050 [1]. The number of people diagnosed with dementia has increased rapidly. The prevalence of dementia among people age 65 and older has reached 7.71% (over 300,000 people) in 2020 [3]. The Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale (DKAS) is a reliable and valid measurement of dementia knowledge for diverse allied health professionals but its traditional Chinese version has not been formally validated yet.

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