Development of the Thai Family Support Scale for Elderly Parents (TFSS-EP)
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Date
2010-03-30
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The Thailand Nursing Council
Abstract
Family is a major resource of support for elderly Thai parents. Although international research has shown several functional aspects of family support, little is known about the functional aspects of family support in the Thai culture. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop an instrument for assessing family support for elderly Thai parents. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were employed in the development and testing of the Thai Family Support Scale for Elderly Parents (TFSS-EP). Items were derived, based on a literature review and interviews with 35 elderly parents, addressing perceptions about types of family support provided by adult children. Factor and item analysis were conducted, with 500 subjects, to determine the structural domains of the instrument. Test-retest reliability of the instrument was determined among 10 elderly parents. Construct validity was determined by comparing differences in the total TFSS-EP’s score between two groups of elderly parents [those living with children (n=30) and those living in a shelter home (n=30)]. The final instrument contained 61 items that explored family support. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a 3-factor solution, which accounted for 57.03% of the total variance. Test-retest reliability was stable, between 2 times among 10 respondents over one week, indicating a high degree of stability for all TFSS items. It was noted that elderly parents, who were living with their adult child, had higher scores on the instrument, compared with those living in a shelter home. Thus, the TFSS-EP appears to be a reliable and valid instrument for measuring family support for elderly Thai parents.
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Thai Journal of Nursing Research; Vol.13 No.2 April-June 2009; 118-132