Introduction of the daily living self-efficacy scale for the elderly, developed to measure the effectiveness of interventions for dementia

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Masahiro Shigeta

The Jikei University School of Medicine, Japan

: Endocrinol Diabetes Res

Abstract

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Older adults tend to experience decreased enjoyment and fulfillment in life, social interactions, and independent living, with aging. These situations often result in lower levels of daily living self-efficacy in activities, which is one of the factors resulting in a decline in the quality of life (QOL). We developed a daily living self-efficacy scale for the elderly that can be used to evaluate the effects of interventions aimed at enhancing self-efficacy. An expert meeting involving specialists in dementia treatment and care was held, to prepare a draft for a daily living self-efficacy scale. Based on the reviews and discussions, a draft of a daily living self-efficacy scale comprising 35 items was prepared. The internal consistency and concept validity of the scale were evaluated. The following five factors were extracted based on factor analysis of the scale: Factor 1, “Having peace of mind”; Factor 2, “Maintaining healthy routines and social roles”; Factor 3, “Taking personal care of oneself”; Factor 4, “Rising to the challenge”; and Factor 5, “Valuing enjoyment and relationships with others”. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient exceeded 0.7, suggesting sufficiently high internal consistency. Covariance structure analysis confirmed sufficiently high concept validity. The scale developed in this study was confirmed to be sufficiently reliable and valid, and when used during dementia treatment and care to assess the levels of daily living self-efficacy among older adults, it is expected to contribute to the improvement of QOL among older adults.

Biography

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Masahiro Shigeta has completed his PhD at the age of 31 years from The Jikei University School of Medicine. He is the professor and director of Department of Psychiatry, The Jikei University School of Medicine. He is the president of the international federation of dementia care, the President of the Japanese Society for Dementia Care and a member of the Board of Directors of the Japanese Society of Geriatric Psychiatry.