Psychometric Properties of the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index Arabic Version 8.0

Optimizing self-care, particularly treatment adherence and health-promoting behaviors, is crucial for mitigating heart failure (HF) hospitalizations and mortality, while concurrently enhancing patients' quality of life. Currently, a dedicated Arabic-language self-care instrument is unavailable.

In his study, our aim was to examine the psychometric properties of the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index Arabic version 8.0.

In this multicenter, cross-sectional study involving 352 patients with HF, a comprehensive psychometric evaluation was undertaken. To establish robust structural validity and reliability, the methodology included forward-backward translation, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, network analysis, model-based internal consistency and test-retest reliability, and convergent validity with European HF Self-care Behavior (EHFScBS-9).

The Self-Care of Heart Failure Index Arabic version 8.0 demonstrated robust psychometric properties. Construct validity was confirmed by a stable 3-factor structure with excellent model fit (χ 2 /df = 1.532, comparative fit index = 0.977, root mean square error of approximation < 0.039). Convergent validity was strong, evidenced by a significant positive correlation with the EHFScBS-9 ( r  = 0.39 - 0.78, P  < .001). Internal consistency was exceptionally high across all subscales (α = 0.91 - 0.92), with an overall Cronbach's alpha of 0.96. Temporal stability was established via excellent test-retest reliability (0.96), supporting the scale's suitability for diverse clinical and research applications.

The Self-Care of Heart Failure Index Arabic version 8.0 demonstrates robust reliability and validity for self-care assessment in Arabic-speaking patients with HF, supporting its use in research and clinical practice.