Translation, Cross-Cultural Adaptation, and Validation of the Fear of Dependency Scale Into European Portuguese.
Patrícia Maria Pires, Joana Carvalho, Telma Pires and 2 others
PMID 39161290WHAT IT FOUND
A Portuguese fear of dependency scale for older adults worked best after a problematic item was removed.
Higher fear scores tracked poorer health self-perception and depressive symptoms, not measured mobility or falls.
Key findings
01The Portuguese Fear of Dependency Scale became more reliable when item 1 was removed.
02Fear of dependency scores were higher in married or de facto union participants than in those single, widowed, or divorced/separated.
03Higher fear of dependency scores were associated with poorer health self-perception and with depression, but not with anxiety, fear of falling, or Timed Up and Go time.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was a convenience sample of 100 older adults from one area of Portugal, so the results may not apply to other older adult groups. The nurse researcher asked the questions face to face, which may have encouraged socially acceptable answers. The final scale uses four items, not the original five, so scores may not compare directly with versions that keep item 1. Most participants were functionally independent, so the scale was not tested in people who are already more dependent or institutionalized. Participants with cognitive impairment were excluded. The study did not test treatment effects, so it cannot show that reducing fear of dependency changes depression or other outcomes.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The work was partially supported by national funds through FCT within the CINTESIS R&D Unit.
The easy way to misread this
Do not use a high fear score to conclude that the patient is physically dependent or at high fall risk. The study found no significant relationships with functional independence, fear of falling, or Timed Up and Go time.