PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES OF THE TURKISH VERSION OF THE CARDIAC HEALTH BEHAVIOR SCALE

Objectives: This methodological study was carried out to test the validity and reliability of the Cardiac Health Behavior Scale (CHB S-21) for its use in Turkey among coronary artery patients. Methodology: The population included individuals visiting the cardiology polyclinic of a university hospital and being followed up with the diagnosis of coronary artery disease, while the sample consisted of 229 volunteering patients who satisfied the inclusion criteri a. The data were gathered by using a Patient Information Form that includes the descriptive characteristics of the participants and the Turkish form of the Cardiac Health Behavior Scale. SPSS (24.0) and AMOS were used in data analysis which included exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Results: The Cronbach's alpha value of the scale was 0.92. The values for the dimensions of the scale were as 0.77 for health responsibility, 0.60 for physical activity, 0.76 for dietary habits, 0.71 for stress management and 0.85 for quitting smoking. The goodness of fit index values in the Confirmatory Factor Analysis were found as: X2=287.236, df = 176 (p<0.01), X2/df=1.63, RMSEA=0.053, GFI=0.90, CFI=0.94 and IFI=0.94. The model was found to show acceptable fit. Conclusion: The Cardiac Health Behavior Scale is a valid and reliable instrument that may be used in the assessment of medical statuses and risk factors of individuals with coronary artery disease. The effective implementation of the patient education will be improved by this measurement instrument.