Trends in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
https://trends.org.br/article/doi/10.1590/2237-6089-2017-0078
Trends in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy
Original Article

The Farsi translation, reliability and validity of the Death Concern Scale

Tradução, confiabilidade e validade da Death Concern Death para a língua persa

Mahboubeh Dadfar; David Lester

http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/2237-6089-2017-0078 Trends Psychiatry Psychother, vol.40, n2, p.114-125, 2018
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Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Death concern is a conscious contemplation of the reality of death combined with a negative evaluation of that reality. The Death Concern Scale (DCS) is related to thinking, and death fear or anxiety about death. The aim of the present study was to develop a Farsi version of the DCS and to explore its psychometric properties in a sample of Iranian nurses. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the reliability, validity, and factorial structure of the Farsi version of the DCS in a convenience sample of 106 Iranian nurses in two hospitals in Tehran, Iran. The nurses completed the DCS, the Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale (CLFDS), the Death Anxiety Scale (DAS), the Reasons for Death Fear Scale (RDFS), the Death Depression Scale (DDS), and the Death Obsession Scale (DOS). Results: For the DCS, Cronbach's α was 0.77, the Spearman-Brown coefficient 0.63, the Guttman split-half coefficient 0.62, and two-week test-retest reliability 0.77. The DCS correlated at 0.51 with the CLFDS, 0.52 with the DAS, 0.34 with the RDFS, 0.40 with the DDS, and 0.48 with the DOS, indicating good construct and criterion-related validity. The results of an exploratory factor analysis for the DCS identified seven factors, accounting for 64.30% of the variance and indicating considerable heterogeneity in the content of the items. Conclusions: The Farsi version of the DCS has good validity and reliability, and it can be used in clinical, educational, and research settings to assess death concerns in the Iranian society.

Keywords

Death concern, death anxiety, DCS, reliability, validity, factorial structure, nurses, Iran

Resumo

Resumo Introdução: A preocupação com a morte é uma contemplação consciente da realidade da morte combinada com uma avaliação negativa dessa realidade. A Death Concern Scale (DCS) aborda o pensamento, o medo da morte ou a ansiedade em relação à morte. O objetivo deste estudo foi desenvolver uma versão da DCS na língua persa e explorar suas propriedades psicométricas em uma amostra de enfermeiros iranianos. Métodos: Um estudo transversal foi conduzido para investigar a confiabilidade, validade e estrutura fatorial da versão persa da DCS em uma amostra de conveniência de 106 enfermeiros iranianos em dois hospitais de Teerã, no Irã. Os enfermeiros completaram os seguintes instrumentos: DCS, Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale (CLFDS), Death Anxiety Scale (DAS), Reasons for Death Fear Scale (RDFS), Death Depression Scale (DDS) e Death Obsession Scale (DOS). Resultados: Para a DCS, o α de Cronbach foi 0,77, o coeficiente de Spearman-Brown 0,63, o coeficiente split-half de Guttman 0,62 e a confiabilidade teste-reteste de duas semanas 0,77. A DCS apresentou correlação de 0,51 com CLFDS, 0,52 com DAS, 0,34 com RDFS, 0,40 com DDS e 0,48 com a DOS, indicando a qualidade do construto e a validade dos critérios relacionados. Os resultados de uma análise fatorial exploratória para a DCS identificaram sete fatores, respondendo por 64,30% da variância e indicando uma heterogeneidade considerável no conteúdo dos itens. Conclusões: A versão persa da DCS tem boa validade e confiabilidade e pode ser usada em contextos clínicos, educacionais e de pesquisa para avaliar preocupação com a morte na sociedade iraniana.

Palavras-chave

Preocupação com a morte, ansiedade com a morte, DCS, confiabilidade, validade, estrutura fatorial, enfermeiros, Irã

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