Epilepsy knowledge scale for parents (EKS-P): Development and psychometric evaluation in Turkish sample

Abstract

Background

Epilepsy is the most prevalent chronic neurological condition in childhood, affecting approximately 0.5%–1% of children worldwide.

Objective

This study aimed to (1) develop an “Epilepsy Knowledge Scale for Parents”, (2) evaluate the content validity of the scale, and (3) assess its psychometric properties.

Methods

This methodological study was conducted in a tertiary hospital's pediatric neurology outpatient clinic in Turkey. The study comprised two stages involving 500 parents of children with epilepsy. The first stage included validity and reliability analyses, while the second stage involved the calculation of the scale scoring.

Results

Exploratory Factor Analysis for the preliminary scale development with 36 items based on expert opinions yielded 29 items and three dimensions. The factors explained 62.83% of the total variance, and the scale exhibited high reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.885). Confirmatory Factor Analysis, it was determined that the fit indices were at acceptable (CFI = 0.957, NFI = 0.932) or good level (χ2/df = 2.32, RMSEA = 0.048, GFI = 0.951). Consequently, a final structure comprising 29 items and three dimensions was obtained. The scale score's cutoff value was set at 15.50 points, with scores above this value indicating diagnostic value with 55.6% sensitivity and 80.2% specificity.

Conclusions

The study demonstrated that the “Epilepsy Knowledge Scale for Parents (EKS-P)”, designed to assess parents' knowledge of epilepsy, is a reliable and valid measurement tool for the Turkish population.

Implications for practice

This scale (EKS-P) developed for parents is recommended to be used in clinical settings and both experimental and non-experimental research.