Abstract
Objective. To evaluate the structural validity of the Rheumatology Attitudes Index (RAI), a widely used measure of rheumatic disease–related helplessness in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).
Methods. Patients with physician-confirmed SSc from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Scleroderma Quality of Life Study (n = 208) received clinical examinations and completed self-report questionnaires. The structural validity of the RAI was examined through confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis (CFA/EFA).
Results. A tenable factor structure was not identified through CFA or EFA.
Conclusion. The present structural analysis did not support the use of the RAI with SSc patients.
Footnotes
Supported by the grant, Evaluation of Health-Related Quality of Life in Systemic Sclerosis from the Scleroderma Foundation Inc. Dr. Khanna has been funded by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH)/US National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) grants K24 AR063120 and K23 AR053858. Dr. Khanna has served as a consultant for Bayer and Genentech.
- Accepted for publication February 7, 2017.