Background 

Psychometric properties of the 38-item version of the Dutch Objective Burden Inventory (DOBI) have been evaluated primarily in older female caregivers, with no published studies that vary by a different gender and age distribution.

Objective 

The aim of this study was to test the construct validity and reliability of the DOBI in caregivers of individuals with heart failure from the United States and other countries.

Methods 

This secondary analysis from a cross-sectional study used an online survey. Factorial validity was tested with confirmatory factor analysis, item performance was examined with ordinal item response analysis, and convergent validity was tested correlating DOBI subscale scores with Bakas Caregiving Outcomes Scale scores. Internal consistency reliability was assessed with Cronbach α.

Results 

Item response analysis removed 14 items. Confirmatory factor analysis retained the original 4-factor solution. Original and reduced instruments demonstrated good internal consistency. Validity was supported by meaningful associations with the Bakas Caregiving Outcomes Scale.

Conclusions 

Both the original 38-item DOBI and the reduced 24-item DOBI had support for their construct validity and internal consistency. The 24-item DOBI may be a useful alternative to the 38-item version, because it maintains psychometric properties of the original instrument while decreasing data collection burden. However, more research is needed to assess whether the shorter version is useful in assessing objective caregiving burden.

中文翻译：

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心力衰竭护理人员荷兰客观负担量表的心理测量学检查

背景 

荷兰客观负担量表 (DOBI) 的 38 项版本的心理测量特性主要在老年女性护理人员中进行了评估，没有已发表的研究因不同的性别和年龄分布而有所不同。

客观的 

本研究的目的是测试DOBI 在美国和其他国家心力衰竭患者的照顾者中的结构效度和信度。

方法 

这项来自横断面研究的二次分析使用了在线调查。因子效度通过验证性因子分析进行测试，项目表现通过顺序项目响应分析进行检验，聚合效度通过将 DOBI 分量表分数与 Bakas 护理结果量表分数相关联进行测试。内部一致性信度用 Cronbach α评估。

结果 

项目响应分析删除了 14 个项目。验证性因子分析保留了原始的 4 因子解。原始和简化的仪器表现出良好的内部一致性。有效性得到与 Bakas 护理结果量表的有意义关联的支持。

结论 

原始的 38 项 DOBI 和减少的 24 项 DOBI 都支持它们的结构效度和内部一致性。24 项 DOBI 可能是 38 项版本的有用替代方案，因为它保留了原始工具的心理测量特性，同时减少了数据收集负担。然而，需要更多的研究来评估较短的版本是否有助于评估客观的护理负担。