Self-Care of Chronic Illness Inventory: An Initial Psychometric Evaluation in People Living With HIV in Italy
Andrés Brito Villa, Maddalena De Maria, Rosario Caruso, Maria Matarese, Cristina Arrigoni, Federica Dellafiore
Abstract
ABSTRACT: Self-care is essential to achieve positive clinical outcomes in patients with chronic diseases; however, self-care behaviors of people living with HIV (PLWH) have not been extensively studied due to the lack of validated measurements. We performed preliminary psychometric analyses of the structural validity and internal consistency of the Self-Care of Chronic Illness Inventory among 108 PLWH living in Italy and assessed self-care levels. Our findings largely replicate the instrument's original factor structure and indicated high internal consistency and reliability. Additionally, we found that PLWH performed self-care behaviors at suboptimal levels. Recommendations for clinical care and future investigations are advanced.