Development of a Spinal Stenosis Self-Management Scale among Adults and Older Adults

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Spinal stenosis is a significant issue that frequently occurs in adults and older adults worldwide. Self-management assessment is crucial for achieving self-management goals. However, there is currently no specific research tool for evaluating self-management related to spinal stenosis in adults and older adults. Therefore, this study aimed to develop and evaluate the psychological properties of a self-management assessment for spinal stenosis.

Methods: The research design involved the development and evaluation of psychological properties in a spinal stenosis self-Management scale (SS-SMS), applying the self-management theory of Lorig and Holman (2003) along with a literature review, and following the development and evaluation of the psychological properties of this type of research instrument based on the concepts of DeVellis and Thorpe (2022). The processes were: 1) Development of the research instrument, which included (1.1) identifying what to measure by defining terms and specifying components in each domain, (1.2) creating the initial set of 50 questions for assessment, and (1.3) determining the measurement format; and 2) Evaluation of the psychological properties of the research instrument, which included (2.1) content validity validated by 7 experts, (2.2) cognitive interviews with 6 adults and older adult individuals regarding the initial set of questions, and reliability testing with 30 individuals, (2.3) reviewing the quality of the questions, (2.4) determining the sample size for structural validity testing, which involved 300 adults and older adult individuals with spinal stenosis sampled using simple random sampling without replacement, (2.5) evaluating the questions by checking structural validity and testing the reliability of the new assessment, and (2.6) considering the length of the assessment. The data analysis included descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and Cronbach's alpha coefficient.

Results: The research findings revealed that the spinal stenosis self-Management scale
(SS-SMS) in adults and older adults, with a total of 36 items, was measured using a 6-point Likert scale. The content validity index for each item ranged from .860 to 1.000, and the overall content validity index was .971. The structural validity, as determined by exploratory factor analysis, revealed 7 components: 1) Role management, 2) Emotional management, 3) Medical management, 4) Symptom management, 5) Communication, 6) Posture and exercise management, and 7) Nutrition. The component weights ranged from .446 to .841, which were statistically significant (p < .001). All components together explain 66.085 % of the cumulative variance. Confirmatory factor analysis also identified 7 components, and the model fits the empirical data well, with a chi-square statistic of 1514, 573 degrees of freedom (p= .001), a relative chi-square of 2.642, a comparative fit index of .950, a Tucker-Lewis index of .955, a standard mean square error of .0665, a root mean square error of approximation of .0740, and a 90% confidence interval for the root mean square error of approximation ranging from .0695 to .0785. There were a total of 36 questions, with standard component weights ranging from .544 to .895, which were statistically significant (p < .001). The reliability analysis showed a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of .940 for the entire assessment.

Conclusions and Recommendations: The SS-SMS has good quality and psychological properties, including content validity, construct validity, and excellent overall reliability. Therefore, nurses and healthcare personnel can use this assessment to assess self-management in adults and older adult individuals with spinal stenosis.