Feasibility, acceptability and internal consistency reliability of the nottingham health profile in dementia patients.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have evaluated subjective health status in dementia patients.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to determinate the feasibility, acceptability and internal consistency reliability of measuring subjective health status in dementia patients with the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP).

DESIGN: The French version of the NHP was administered to 145 dementia patients and their proxies (family caregivers and formal caregivers).

MEASURES: The refusal rate, type of administration and time for completion were used as indicators of feasibility. Internal consistency reliability was determined with Cronbach's alpha coefficient and test-retest reliability assessed with the intraclass correlation coefficient for test-retest values. The measurements obtained were compared by source of information (patient and proxies).

RESULTS: The 145 subjects had an average age of 82 and 78% were women. 73% had a Mini-Mental State <16. Ninety-four percent of the items were correctly filled in, but an interviewer had to be present because of problems in attention or comprehension. The test-retest reliability for subjects was good (rho < 0.7), but response agreement between patients and their proxies was just acceptable for physical domains (rho < 0.6) and poor for psychological and social domains (rho < 0.4).

CONCLUSIONS: Self-rating of perceived health status by dementia patients seems feasible with the questionnaire with adaptations in the administration, but other methods are needed to approach the more subjective domains of the quality of life.