Development of the elderly abuse diagnostic scale for nurses

Elder abuse has become a significant global public health issue with the increasing aging population. This study aimed to develop a valid and reliable measurement tool to support nurses in diagnosing elder abuse. The research was designed using a methodological approach. Ethical approval (15.06.2023, No: 2023/43) and institutional permissions were obtained. The scale items were developed based on a comprehensive literature review and expert opinions. Following expert review, the content validity index of the scale was determined to be 0.878. In the study, data were collected from 373 nurses in Artvin for exploratory factor analysis and 334 nurses in Trabzon for confirmatory factor analysis, resulting in a total sample size of 707 nurses. Data were gathered using a Personal Information Form and the draft version of the Elderly Abuse Diagnostic Scale for Nurses (EADSN). In the exploratory factor analysis, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) value was found to be 0.861, and Bartlett's test result was χ²=7109.368 (p<0.001). A four-factor structure explaining 61.810% of the total variance was identified, with factor loadings ranging between 0.643 and 0.895. In the confirmatory factor analysis, the KMO value was 0.929, Bartlett's test result was χ²=6429.759 (p<0.001), and model fit indices were determined as χ²/df=3.516, CFI=0.858, GFI=0.869, and NFI=0.886. Reliability analysis showed that Cronbach's alpha was 0.890 for the exploratory factor analysis sample and 0.944 for the confirmatory factor analysis sample. Item-total correlation coefficients ranged from 0.552 to 0.810. Discriminant validity was tested by independent samples t-tests, revealing significant differences between the lower 27% and upper 27% groups (p<0.001). Additionally, the Tukey's Nonadditivity Test indicated no significant nonadditivity effect (p=0.488), demonstrating that the items were suitable for summation to form a total score. Sociodemographic variables such as age, educational level, and clinical experience were found to significantly affect scale scores (p<0.05). In conclusion, the Elderly Abuse Diagnostic Scale for Nurses (EADSN) is a valid and reliable measurement tool that can be effectively used by nurses to diagnose elder abuse. Keywords: Elder abuse, Nursing, Reliability, Scales, Validity