Psychometric properties for the Polish version of the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (Brief IPQ)

Abstract

Background This study presents the Polish validation of the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, a nine-item scale which was constructed to assess the cognitive and emotional representations of illness among Polish patients. This tool is derived from the Common-Sense Model of Self-Regulation of Health and Illness. Participants and procedure This study included 923 chronically ill people with the following diseases: eczema (E), bronchial asthma (BA), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Hashimoto’s disease (HD), diabetes type II (D), acne (A), glaucoma and cataract (G, C), HIV/AIDS, ischaemic heart disease (IHD), psoriasis (P), breast and stomach cancer (C), and multiple sclerosis (MS). Test–retest reliability was assessed in 358 patients with selected chronic illnesses. Concurrent validity was assessed by correlating Kurtzke’s EDSS and the Brief IPQ in 140 MS patients. Discriminant validity was verified by comparing means for the tool among four groups of patients. Results The Polish version of the Brief IPQ showed good test–retest reliability. The scale also demonstrates good concurrent validity in MS patients. The discriminant validity of the Brief IPQ was supported by its ability to distinguish among different illnesses. Conclusions The Brief IPQ is a good, short and easy to use tool for assessing the perceptions of illness among Polish patients.