Development and psychometric evaluation of the needs of parents caring for children with epilepsy questionnaire (NPCEQ).

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Identifying the care needs of parents of children with epilepsy using a reliable tool can help improve the quality of life for both parents and children, enhance care provision, and facilitate disease management. This study aimed to design and psychometrically evaluate the Needs of Parents Caring for Children with Epilepsy Questionnaire (NPCEQ).

METHODS

This study employed a two-stage exploratory sequential mixed-methods design. In the first stage, 13 semi-structured interviews were conducted to clarify the concept of "parental care needs for children with epilepsy." A conventional content analysis of the interview transcripts was performed to identify subscales and items for inclusion in the instrument. In the second stage, the psychometric properties of the questionnaire were evaluated. The NPCEQ utilizes a 5-point Likert scale. Face validity was assessed by 20 parents, and content validity was evaluated by 35 faculty members. Reliability was tested in a random sample of 331 caregivers.

RESULTS

The final NPCEQ consists of five dimensions with 31 items, accounting for 59.07 % of the total variance. The overall CVR was 0.853, and CVI was 0.877, both indicating very good levels. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha (0.761). Internal stability was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), which was found to be adequate (ICC = 0.62-0.86). The NPCEQ demonstrated evidence of content validity, construct validity, internal consistency, and stability.

CONCLUSION

The NPCEQ demonstrated evidence of content validity, construct validity, internal consistency, and stability. The statistical analysis of the NPCEQ provided an objective tool for assessing the care needs of parents of children with epilepsy in clinical and domestic contexts.