Rebecca Baxter1, Hugo Lövheim2, Sabine Björk1,3, Anders Sköldunger1, Marie Lindkvist4, Karin Sjögren1, Per-Olof Sandman1,5, Ådel Bergland6, Bengt Winblad7, David Edvardsson1,8. 1. Department of Nursing, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. 2. Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Geriatric Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. 3. Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Section of Sustainable Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. 4. Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. 5. Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Nursing, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden. 6. Lovisenberg Diaconal University College, Oslo, Norway. 7. Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. 8. School of Nursing & Midwifery, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.
Abstract
AIM: To evaluate the psychometric properties and performance of the 32-item Thriving of Older People Assessment Scale (TOPAS) and to explore reduction into a short-form. BACKGROUND: The 32-item TOPAS has been used in studies of place-related well-being as a positive measure in long-term care to assess nursing home resident thriving; however, item redundancy has not previously been explored. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHOD: Staff members completed the 32-item TOPAS as proxy raters for a random sample of Swedish nursing home residents (N = 4,831) between November 2013 - September 2014. Reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis and item response theory-based analysis were undertaken. Items were systematically identified for reduction using statistical and theoretical analysis. Correlation testing, means comparison and model fit evaluation confirmed scale equivalence. RESULTS: Psychometric properties of the 32-item TOPAS were satisfactory and several items were identified for scale reduction. The proposed short-form TOPAS exhibited a high level of internal consistency (α = 0.90) and strong correlation (r = 0.98) to the original scale, while also retaining diversity among items in terms of factor structure and item difficulties. CONCLUSION: The 32-item and short-form TOPAS' indicated sound validity and reliability to measure resident thriving in the nursing home context. IMPACT: There is a lack of positive life-world measures for use in nursing homes. The short-form TOPAS indicated sound validity and reliability to measure resident thriving, providing a feasible measure with enhanced functionality for use in aged care research, assessments and care planning for health-promoting purposes in nursing homes.
AIM: To evaluate the psychometric properties and performance of the 32-item Thriving of Older People Assessment Scale (TOPAS) and to explore reduction into a short-form. BACKGROUND: The 32-item TOPAS has been used in studies of place-related well-being as a positive measure in long-term care to assess nursing home resident thriving; however, item redundancy has not previously been explored. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHOD: Staff members completed the 32-item TOPAS as proxy raters for a random sample of Swedish nursing home residents (N = 4,831) between November 2013 - September 2014. Reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis and item response theory-based analysis were undertaken. Items were systematically identified for reduction using statistical and theoretical analysis. Correlation testing, means comparison and model fit evaluation confirmed scale equivalence. RESULTS: Psychometric properties of the 32-item TOPAS were satisfactory and several items were identified for scale reduction. The proposed short-form TOPAS exhibited a high level of internal consistency (α = 0.90) and strong correlation (r = 0.98) to the original scale, while also retaining diversity among items in terms of factor structure and item difficulties. CONCLUSION: The 32-item and short-form TOPAS' indicated sound validity and reliability to measure resident thriving in the nursing home context. IMPACT: There is a lack of positive life-world measures for use in nursing homes. The short-form TOPAS indicated sound validity and reliability to measure resident thriving, providing a feasible measure with enhanced functionality for use in aged care research, assessments and care planning for health-promoting purposes in nursing homes.