The Third Time's a Charm: Psychometric Testing and Update of the Atlanta Heart Failure Knowledge Test

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Health Sciences
• Psychometrics

Background:

• The Atlanta Heart Failure Knowledge Test (AHFKT) has been a validated instrument since 2009.
• Advances in heart failure (HF) self-care necessitate reevaluation of existing knowledge assessment tools.
• The AHFKTv2 was assessed for psychometric properties in recent studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To reevaluate the psychometric properties of the Atlanta Heart Failure Knowledge Test version 2 (AHFKTv2).
• To update the AHFKT based on current understanding of HF self-care.
• To confirm the reliability and validity of the AHFKTv2.

Main Methods:

• Combined data from 4 intervention studies (N=284) involving individuals with HF.
• Analyzed 30 AHFKTv2 questions across 5 self-care knowledge domains: pathophysiology, nutrition, behavior, medications, and symptoms.
• Employed descriptive statistics, validity testing (t tests, Mann-Whitney, correlations), reliability calculations, and factor analysis.

Main Results:

• The sample (N=284) comprised adults aged 22-84, with 66% African American, 63% male, and 94% NYHA class II-III HF.
• Mean AHFKTv2 score was 80.6%. Higher knowledge correlated with higher education and lower sodium intake.
• Factor analysis indicated a single general knowledge factor with strong reliability (Cronbach's α = .87).

Conclusions:

• Psychometric evaluation confirmed the internal consistency reliability and validity of the AHFKTv2.
• Item response analysis identified specific questions for revision.
• Findings support the development of the AHFKTv3 for research and clinical practice.