Turkish validity and reliability study of the childhood illness attitude scale

Severe forms of health anxiety cause serious dysfunction in people’s lives. Childhood Illness Attitude Scales (CIAS) is an assessment tool used to evaluate childhood health anxiety yet has not been validated for use in Turkey. The study aimed to examine the psychometric properties and factor structure of the Turkish version of the CIAS (CIAS-TR). The scale was administered to 306 children aged between 8 and 15 years. In addition to the CIAS-TR, participants were asked to complete the Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL). To measure test-retest reliability, CIAS-TR was completed by participants 15 days later. Results demonstrated good psychometric properties with high internal consistency and test-retest reliability. A positive correlation with SCARED and a negative correlation with PedsQL. Results from Confirmatory Factor Analysis suggested that a four-factor model best fit the data. The findings of the study indicate that the Turkish adaptation of the CIAS is an appropriate tool for assessing health anxiety in children.