Factor analysis of the Appraisal of Self-care Agency Scale in American adults with diabetes mellitus.

Purpose: The purpose of this methodological secondary data analysis study is to examine the reliability, construct validity, and dimensionality of the Appraisal of Self-care Agency Scale (ASAS) in an American sample of adults with diabetes mellitus.

Methods: The sample consisted of 141 insulin-requiring adults with diabetes mellitus recruited from a Diabetes Care Center in the southern United States. The ASAS, along with Hurley's Insulin Management Diabetes Self-efficacy and Insulin Management Diabetes Self-care Scales, was used in the study to determine convergent validity, thus contributing to the construct validity of the ASAS. Other data analysis consisted of internal consistency estimates of reliability, Pearson correlations, and factor analysis.

Results: The findings suggest that the ASAS consists of a single substantive dimension and has adequate construct validity and reliability.

Conclusion: Revision of certain items and conducting further analysis of the scale, prior to its adoption in clinical practice, should be considered.