Construct Validity of the Kimble Household Activities Scale in Women with Heart Disease

Kimble, Laura P.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011: 10:30 AM

Laura P. Kimble, PhD, RN
Georgia Baptist College of Nursing, Mercer University, Atlanta, GA

Learning Objective 1: 1. The learner will be able to discuss the importance of establishing reliable and valid instruments measuring physical function in women with heart disease.

Learning Objective 2: 2. The learner will be able to identify evidence for construct validity in the Kimble Household Activities Scale.

Purpose: Evidence suggests women with heart disease experience poorer physical function than men, however reliable, valid and female gender specific instruments to assess physical function in women are lacking. The purpose of this psychometric study was to examine evidence for construct validity of the Kimble Household Activities Scale (HAS), an instrument developed to measure physical function in women with heart disease

Methods: The methods involved a psychometric analysis of the data of community dwelling women (N=40) with a self-reported history of coronary artery disease (CAD) who were recruited via newspaper advertising and posted flyers. Following written informed consent, participants completed the HAS a 14 item scale that lists 14 different household tasks and asks the woman to rate whether the task can be performed without difficulty, modified to be completed, or is no longer attempted because of cardiac symptoms. A total score is obtained for the percentage of activities performed without difficulty of activities routinely attempted. Additional questionnaires used to examine construct validity for the HAS included the Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ-Physical Function subscale), the Cardiovascular Limitations and Symptoms Profile (CLASP- home concerns subscale), and the Illness Intrusiveness Scale (IIS)

Results: The sample (N=40) were predominantly white (55%), married (45%), with a > HS education (86%) with a mean age of 65.5 (SD 11.1) years. Women reported performing a mean of 49.6% (SD 33.2%) household activities without difficulty. Data were analyzed using Spearman’s rho correlations. HAS scores significantly (p < .05) correlated in conceptually meaningful directions with the SAQ (r_s= -.51), CLASP home concerns (r_s= -.57), and the IIS (r_s= -.74)

Conclusion: Evidence for construct validity for the HAS was demonstrated. Further psychometric development of the HAS should focus on test-retest reliability and establishing difference or change scores that would reflect clinically significant decline or improvement in physical function.

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