Early development of a novel scale to measure adaptation in people diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease - the A-inflammatory bowel disease.

OBJECTIVE

To undergo the preliminary development of a new measure of patient adaptation to Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): A-IBD.

DESIGN

Based on a prior conceptualisation of adaptation, a 40-item scale was generated and completed by 304 people diagnosed with IBD.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Psychometric analysis of the measure. Association with the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (Brief IPQ) and the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ).

RESULTS

The 18-item scale consisted of four subscales (patient identity, person identity, acceptance, expectations). Weak to moderate correlations were found between subscales of the A-IBD and the Brief IPQ and IBDQ.

CONCLUSION

The A-IBD shows potential for assessing adaptation. Further analysis could confirm its usefulness.