Self-Management Scale for Chronic Pruritus in Older People: Instrument Development and Preliminary Validation

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Dermatology
• Health Psychology

Background:

• Chronic pruritus significantly impacts global health, particularly in the elderly.
• Standardized assessment tools are crucial for managing chronic pruritus.
• Limited research exists on self-management assessment tools for older adults with chronic pruritus.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Self-management Scale for Chronic Pruritus in older people.
• To provide a reliable tool for measuring self-management in this demographic.

Main Methods:

• An exploratory sequential mixed-method design across three phases.
• Utilized literature review, semi-structured interviews, and the Delphi method for initial scale construction.
• Item analysis and practical evaluation involved 180 and 206 older adults, respectively.

Main Results:

• A 20-item scale was finalized after item analysis.
• Exploratory factor analysis identified a five-factor model explaining 75.491% of the variation.
• Self-management levels correlated significantly with gender, occupation, income, diagnosis, awareness of triggers, and treatment receipt.

Conclusions:

• The Self-management Scale for Chronic Pruritus in older people demonstrates good reliability and validity.
• The scale serves as a valuable reference for healthcare professionals assessing self-management.
• Findings can inform targeted health education programs for older adults with chronic pruritus.