FACTOR STRUCTURE OF THE ARTHRITIS HELPLESSNESS INDEX

  • 1 March 1988
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 15  (3) , 427-432
Abstract
The factor structure of the Arthritis Helplessness Index (AHI) was examined using principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation. Data for the initial factor analysis came from a longitudinal study of 368 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Two slightly negatively correlated (r=-0.21) subscales emerged:internality and helplessness. This analysis was cross-validate twice. Findings reveal that the 2 subcales of the AHI are more reliable and valid than the total score. The 5 item helplessness subscale, in particular, appears to be a highly valid indicator of the degree of the patients with RA feel overwhelmed by their disease.