Turkish validity and reliability study of the stigma scale associated with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

The aim of this methodological and descriptive study is to conduct a validity and reliability study of the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Related Stigma Scale in Turkish society. The sample of the study consisted of 240 individuals with COPD who were hospitalized in the chest diseases department of a chest diseases hospital and applied to the outpatient clinic and met the inclusion criteria. The data of the study were collected using the Personal Information Form, COPD Related Stigma Scale (COPDSS), Dyspnea 12 Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD), and COPD Assessment Test. In the analysis of the data, the content validity, explanatory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, Cronbach Alpha analysis, correlation analysis and descriptive statistical methods used in the scale validity and reliability study were used. It was determined that the content validity index of the scale was 1.00, the confirmatory factor analysis results were χ2/sd=1.858; GFI=0.912; AGFI=0.878; NFI=0.953; IFI=0.917; CFI=0.963; RMSEA=0.068 and the model provided a good fit in terms of both absolute and relative fit indices. It was determined that the scale maintained its 4-factor structure as in the original scale and provided a good fit. Cronbach Alpha internal consistency coefficients of the scale and its sub-dimensions are 0.95 for COPDSS; 0.92 for COPDSS-Social Stigma sub-dimension; 0.83 for COPDSS-Felt Stigma sub-dimension; 0.72 for COPDSS-Treatment-Related Stigma sub-dimension and 0.74 for COPDSS-Smoking-Related sub-dimension. The Stigma Scale Associated with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a valid and reliable tool that measures stigma in COPD patients in the Turkish society.