BMC Infectious Diseases (Jul 2017)

Validity and reliability of the tuberculosis-related stigma scale version for Brazilian Portuguese

  • Juliane de Almeida Crispim,
  • Laís Mara Caetano da Silva,
  • Mellina Yamamura,
  • Marcela Paschoal Popolin,
  • Antônio Carlos Vieira Ramos,
  • Luiz Henrique Arroyo,
  • Ana Angélica Rêgo de Queiroz,
  • Aylana de Souza Belchior,
  • Danielle Talita dos Santos,
  • Flávia Meneguetti Pieri,
  • Ludmila Barbosa Bandeira Rodrigues,
  • Simone Terezinha Protti,
  • Ione Carvalho Pinto,
  • Pedro Fredemir Palha,
  • Ricardo Alexandre Arcêncio

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-017-2615-2
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 17, no. 1
pp. 1 – 8

Abstract

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Abstract Background Stigma associated with tuberculosis (TB) has been an object of interest in several regions of the world. The behaviour presented by patients as a result of social discrimination has contributed to delays in diagnosis and the abandonment of treatment, leading to an increase in the cases of TB and drug resistance. The identification of populations affected by stigma and its measurement can be assessed with the use of valid and reliable instruments developed or adapted to the target culture. This aim of this study was to analyse the initial psychometric properties of the Tuberculosis-Related Stigma scale in Brazil, for TB patients. Methods The Tuberculosis-Related Stigma scale is a specific scale for measuring stigma associated with TB, originally validated in Thailand. It presents two dimensions to be assessed, namely Community perspectives toward tuberculosis and Patient perspectives toward tuberculosis. The first has 11 items regarding the behaviour of the community in relation to TB, and the second is made up of 12 items related to feelings such as fear, guilt and sorrow in coping with the disease. A pilot test was conducted with 83 TB patients, in order to obtain the initial psychometric properties of the scale in the Brazilian Portuguese version, enabling simulation of the field study. Results As regards its psychometric properties, the scale presented acceptable internal consistency for its dimensions, with values ≥0.70, the absence of floor and ceiling effects, which is favourable for the property of scale responsiveness, satisfactory converging validity for both dimensions, with values over 0.30 for initial studies, and diverging validity, with adjustment values different from 100%. Conclusion The results found show that the Tuberculosis-Related Stigma scale can be a valid and reliable instrument for the Brazilian context.

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