Psychometric evaluation of the Cognitive Appraisal of Health Scale with patients with prostate cancer.

AIM

This study was designed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Cognitive Appraisal of Health Scale, specifically with prostate cancer patients.

BACKGROUND

Measurement of appraisal is considered a relatively new area in the health studies literature. Cognitive appraisal of potentially stressful events becomes important when individuals face a crisis such as a change in their health status. So far, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) has not been used to study the factor structure of the Cognitive Appraisal of Health Scale.

METHODS

The structure of the questionnaire was analysed by exploratory factor analysis, CFA using structural equation modelling and an Analysis of Moment Structure procedure with a sample of 133 patients with prostate cancer.

RESULTS

The results support the three-factor model for the Cognitive Appraisal of Health Scale because it has robust structure and excellent goodness-of-fit indices. Several of the 23 items were grouped into different factors from those in Kessler's scale.

CONCLUSION

The use of the reduced version of Cognitive Appraisal of Health Scale with men under health stress is recommended.