Objectives: This study aimed to validate a measure of feelings of empowerment among family caregivers of persons with life limiting illnesses.
Methods: Family caregivers (N = 295) completed a survey on their feelings of empowerment and psychosocial constructs.
Results: Utilizing exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, the study validated the Empowerment in the Context of Caregiving scale, revealing a two-factor structure related to influencing the care recipient and controlling personal outcomes, with high reliability and validity. Convergent validity was supported by a strong association with an established measure of power. Discriminant validity was demonstrated through weak associations with theoretically less relevant constructs, confirming the scale's validity.
Conclusions: This scale provides a reliable tool to identify feelings of disempowerment among caregivers, with implications for theory and practice. Future research should explore predictive validity and consider cultural factors to enhance its applicability in diverse caregiving contexts.
Clinical implications: This study provides a reliable tool to identify feelings of empowerment among family caregivers of persons with life limiting illnesses for clinicians. It also allows future studies to reliably investigate a theory-driven intervention target, feelings of power, and allows clinicians to tailor this into theory-driven intervention for family caregivers of persons with life limiting illnesses.
Keywords: Caregiver; confirmatory factor analysis; dementia; empowerment; exploratory factor analysis.