To develop a valid and reliable measure of arthritis self-efficacy for use with school-age children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).
Construction of the 11-item Children's Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale (CASE) was based on an existing body of knowledge and the results of focus groups with children, their parents, and health professionals. Data for validation of the CASE were collected by self-administered questionnaires completed by 89 children and 151 caregivers.
Analyses revealed a 3-factor structure relating to self-efficacy for managing symptoms, emotional consequences, and activities, explaining 76.5% of the total variance. The CASE demonstrated high internal consistency, concurrent validity, and construct validity.
Preliminary findings suggest that the CASE is worthy of further psychometric testing and may have the potential to help delineate variations in adjustment among children with JIA.