Validation and reliability study of the Turkish version of the Stroke Stigma Scale in patients with stroke

This study aimed to determine the Turkish validity and reliability of the stigma scale developed for stroke patients. This methodological study was conducted with 160 patients diagnosed with stroke in the Neurology Department of Kutahya Health Sciences University Evliya Çelebi Training and Research Hospital Additional Building. A Patient Information Form, the Stroke Stigma Scale, and the Neuro Quality of Life (Neuro-QoL)-Stigma Scale were used for data collection. A four-factor structure with a total variance of 52.82% was obtained from the exploratory factor analysis. The chi-square/degree of freedom of the Stroke Stigma scale was 1.931 (CMIN/DF < 5) and the p-value was <.001. The root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) value was .07. When the Cronbach alpha coefficients were examined for internal consistency, it was determined that the Cronbach alpha value of the total scale was .74 and the Cronbach alpha values of the subdimensions were .67, .63, .57, and .60, respectively. In addition, a moderate positive correlation was determined between the Stroke Stigma Scale and the Neuro-QoL-Stigma Scale. According to the results, the Turkish version of the Stroke Stigma Scale was found to be valid and reliable for the Turkish population.