Validity and Reliability of the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) for Family Caregivers of Children with Cancer

Filiberto Toledano-Toledano, José Moral de la Rubia, Miriam Teresa Domínguez-Guedea, Laura A. Nabors, Blanca E. Barcelata-Eguiarte, Eduardo Rocha-Pérez, David Luna, Ahidée Leyva-López and Leonor Rivera-Rivera
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Filiberto Toledano-Toledano: Research Unit in Evidence-Based Medicine, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez National Institute of Health, Dr. Márquez 162, Doctores, Cuauhtémoc, México City 06720, Mexico
José Moral de la Rubia: Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Dr. Carlos Canseco, 110, Esq. Dr. Aguirre Pequeño, Col. Mitras Centro, Monterrey 64460, Mexico
Miriam Teresa Domínguez-Guedea: Department of Psychology and Communication Sciences, University of Sonora, Blvd. Luis Encinas y Rosales, Col. Centro S/N Hermosillo, Sonora 83000, Mexico
Laura A. Nabors: School of Human Services, College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0068, USA
Blanca E. Barcelata-Eguiarte: Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Calz, Ignacio Zaragoza, Col. Ejército de Oriente, Mexico City 09230, Mexico
Eduardo Rocha-Pérez: Servicio Nacional de Sanidad, Inocuidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria (Senasica), Anillo Perif, 5010, Insurgentes Cuicuilco, Coyoacán, Mexico City 04530, Mexico
David Luna: Comisión Nacional de Arbitraje Médico, Mitla No. 250-8° Piso, esq. Eje 5 Sur (Eugenia), Vertiz Narvarte, Benito Juárez, Mexico City 03020, Mexico
Ahidée Leyva-López: Centro de Investigación en Salud Poblacional, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Av. Universidad No. 655 Col. Santa María Ahuacatitlán, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62100, Mexico
Leonor Rivera-Rivera: Centro de Investigación en Salud Poblacional, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Av. Universidad No. 655 Col. Santa María Ahuacatitlán, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62100, Mexico

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 21, 1-24

Abstract: Currently, information about the psychometric properties of the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) in family caregivers of children with cancer is not available; thus, there is no empirical evidence of its validity and reliability to support its use in this population in Mexico or in other countries. This study examined the psychometric properties of the BAI in family caregivers of children with cancer and pursued four objectives: to determine the factor structure of the BAI, estimate its internal consistency reliability, describe the distribution of BAI scores and the level of anxiety in the sample and test its concurrent validity in relation to depression and resilience. This cross-sectional study was carried out with convenience sampling. A sociodemographic questionnaire, the BAI, the Beck Depression Inventory and the Measurement Scale of Resilience were administered to an incidental sample of 445 family caregivers of children with cancer hospitalized at the National Institute of Health in Mexico City. Confirmatory factor analysis using the maximum likelihood method was performed to determine the factor structure and exploratory factor analysis using axis factorization with oblique rotation was conducted. The two-, three- and four-factor models originally proposed for the BAI did not hold. The exploratory factor analysis showed a model of two correlated factors (physiological and emotional symptoms). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a lack of discriminant validity between these two factors and supported a single-factor model. The internal consistency of the scale reduced to 11 items (BAI-11) was good (alpha = 0.89). The distribution of BAI-11 scores was skewed to the left. High levels of symptoms of anxiety were present in 49.4% of caregivers. The scale was positively correlated with depression and negatively correlated with resilience. These findings suggest that a reduced single-factor version of the BAI is valid for Mexican family caregivers of children with cancer.

Keywords: anxiety; BAI; inventory; family caregivers; children with cancer; psychometric evaluation; reliability; validity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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