The use of Morycz's desire-to-institutionalize scale across three racial/ethnic groups.

OBJECTIVE

The objectives of this study were to assess the dimensionality and reliability of a frequently used scale for predicting the desire to institutionalize among White, African American, and Hispanic caregivers of persons with dementia.

METHOD

Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and reliability analyses were performed on a slightly modified version of Morycz's (1985) Desire to Institutionalize (DTI) scale separately for each racial group using data from the Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregiver Health (REACH) II study (Belle et al., 2006).

RESULTS

The EFA revealed a one-factor structure that was equivalent across all racial groups. The scale demonstrated moderate reliability with KR-20 alpha of .694 for Whites, .742 for African Americans, and .767 for Hispanics.

DISCUSSION

Findings suggest that Morycz's DTI scale is a consistently reliable measure for assessing the desire to institutionalize across White, African American, and Hispanic dementia caregivers.