Psychometric assessment of the "child surgery worries questionnaire" among Portuguese children

Abstract

Worries are common in surgical patients, especially in children. The present study analyzed the factor structure and the psychometric properties of the Child Surgery Worries Questionnaire (CSWQ) in a Portuguese sample (n= 490 children). Exploratory factor analysis, conducted via principal axis factoring with oblimin rotation provided evidence for a four-factor structure of the 21 item questionnaire. A confirmatory factor analysis was also conducted, showing the good fit of this solution. The CSWQ Portuguese version had one more subscale compared to the original Spanish version. The analysis of the children's trait anxiety found convergent validity with the CSWQ. Females also scored higher worries than males on all subscales. Psychometric properties of this revised version of the CSWQ provided support for use with young children, showing an important value for healthcare practice in clinical and nonclinical settings