Psychometric evaluation of the Farsi version of the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index (F-SCHFI v۷.۲)

Background: Self-care is a fundamental principle in the treatment of heart failure because it can improve quality of life, reduce hospitalizations, and minimize the negative effects of the disease. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Farsi version of the Heart Failure Self-Care Index (F-SCHFI). Methods: This cross-sectional study included ۴۲۰ patients referred to the Rajaie Cardiovascular Medicine and Research Center in Tehran. The translation process followed the designer-approved forward-backward method. An exploratory factorial analysis was performed on a sample of ۲۱۰ patients using the maximum likelihood method and Promax rotation. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed on an additional sample of ۲۱۰ heart failure patients. Reliability was assessed by assessing internal consistency and composite reliability. Results: The study included ۴۲۰ patients with a mean age of ۵۴.۳۷ ± ۱۹.۴۸ years. In the exploratory factor analysis, three factors—self-care management, symptom perception, and self-care maintenance—were extracted. These factors accounted for ۴۱.۱۵% of the total variance. The reliability of these factors was above ۰.۷. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the final model had a good fit. Conclusion: The results of this study show that the F-SCHFI has good validity and reliability in patients with heart failure, making it suitable for use in various research studies.