COMFORT Behavior Scale instrument: validity and reliability test for critically ill pediatric patients in Indonesia

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Anesthesiology
• Nursing Research
• Psychometrics

Background:

• The COMFORT Behavior Scale (CBS) is a validated instrument for assessing pediatric sedation levels across various languages.
• Establishing the psychometric properties of translated instruments is crucial for accurate clinical assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the validity and reliability of the Indonesian version of the COMFORT Behavior Scale (CBS).
• To evaluate the psychometric performance of the CBS in a pediatric population receiving sedation therapy.

Main Methods:

• An analytic descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 51 children (1 month to 18 years) receiving analgesia/sedation.
• Sedation levels were assessed using the COMFORT Behavior Scale (CBS) and the Nurse Interpretation of Sedation Score (NISS).
• Statistical analyses included Mann-Whitney U test, Pearson correlation, Kappa coefficient, and Cronbach's alpha.

Main Results:

• No significant correlation was found between CBS and NISS (P=0.118).
• Six items of the CBS demonstrated validity (r=0.348-0.813).
• The Indonesian CBS exhibited high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.873).

Conclusions:

• The Indonesian version of the COMFORT Behavior Scale (CBS) is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing sedation levels in children.
• The CBS demonstrates strong psychometric properties for use in Indonesian pediatric care settings.
• Further research may explore the clinical utility and correlation with other sedation assessment tools.