African American Dementia Caregiver Problem Inventory: Descriptive analysis and initial psychometric evaluation

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Dementia caregivers, particularly African Americans, face unique challenges.
• Cognitive-behavioral interventions require tailored tools to address specific caregiver problems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the African American Dementia Caregiver Problem Inventory (DCPI-A).
• To assess the types, frequency, and severity of problems encountered by African American dementia caregivers.
• To evaluate the intercoder reliability of the DCPI-A.

Main Methods:

• The DCPI-A was developed in three steps: deriving problems from clinical trials, formulating a preliminary version, and finalizing it with 20 categories.
• Intercoder reliability was assessed using percent agreement and Cronbach's kappa.
• Descriptive analysis quantified problem types and frequencies.

Main Results:

• The most frequent problems reported by caregivers included communication, socialization, physical health, daily living management, and behavioral issues.
• Intercoder reliability for the DCPI-A was found to be moderately high.
• Analysis of coder drift also showed positive results.

Conclusions:

• The DCPI-A is a psychometrically sound tool for assessing problems faced by African American dementia caregivers.
• The inventory's findings support its adoption in clinical settings for targeted interventions.
• This research provides valuable insights into the specific needs of African American dementia caregivers.