The Slovenian Version of the Thirst Distress Scale for Patients with Heart Failure: Translation and Psychometric Evaluation

Abstract

Thirst is a common symptom in patients with heart failure (HF), which can cause a high degree of distress. Increased fluid intake due to thirst can lead to clinical deterioration because of shifts in volume status. The thirst assessment should be included in routine patient follow-up; however, only a limited set of validated instruments are available. Aims: To translate and evaluate psychometric properties of the Slovenian version of the Thirst Distress Scale for Patients with Heart Failure (TDS-HF). Methods: The English version of the TDS-HF was translated back and forth into the Slovenian language. The psychometric evaluation included content validity, internal consistency, construct validity, and concurrent validity assessments. For this purpose, we also evaluated thirst intensity using a visual analogue scale (VAS, 100 mm). Results: Overall, 159 patients with HF (mean age 71 ± 9 years, 69% male, 77% in the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class II-III, mean Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF) 36 ± 12%) completed the TDS-HF. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the one-factor structure of the scale. The Slovenian version demonstrated good content validity (scale content validity index based on the average method (S-CVI/Ave) 0.96) and internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha 0.83). In terms of concurrent validity, a positive correlation was observed between TDS-HF and thirst intensity (r = 0.36, p ≤ 0.01). Conclusions: The psychometric evaluation of the Slovenian version of the TDS-HF showed adequate psychometric properties, indicating that the scale is suitable for clinical practice and research in Slovenia to measure thirst distress in patients with HF.