Adaptation of a patient activation measure (PAM) into Turkish: reliability and validity test

BACKGROUND: Patient activation is a central concept in chronic illness care model. Activated patients have ability and willingness to manage their health. OBJECTIVE: Aim of this study was to test the reliability and validity of a Patient Activation Measure. METHODS: Research sample consisted of 130 patients who had diabetes, hypertension or rheumatoid arthritis. Data was collected through socio-demographic information form and a Patient Activation Measure (PAM). Reliability and validity of PAM were analyzed. RESULTS: Internal consistency reliability coefficient of the PAM was α: .81. Correlation coefficients between item and total scale scores varied from .38 to .66. Result of explanatory factor analysis Kaiser Meyer Olkin coefficient was .75 and Barlett test was x2: 646.870; p: 0. 000. Result of confirmatory factor analysis, model fit indexes were x2/df: 1.59, RMSEA: 0.071, CFI: 0.96, NNFI: 0.95. The result of Rasch analysis, reliability coefficient varied from 0.83 to 0.87 and in validity assesment, item fit statistics for INFIT varied from 0.68 to 1.53 and for OUTFIT varied from 0.65 to 1.54. CONCLUSION: PAM has enough validy and reliability for use in determining activation scores and level of the patients in Turkey. It could be used in planing appropriate interventions for the activation level and help to improve self management.