부산대학교 도서관

[Objective] This study aimed to develop a scale (BDS) that assessed occupational therapy students' sense of difficulty with each item of the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) and examine its reliability and validity. [Methods] A questionnaire survey was administered to 232 subjects from two schools. The scale’s reliability was assessed via internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient). Retest reliability (agreement of scores and kappa coefficient) was calculated for each question item, and the schools were compared. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to interpret and name the factors for construct validity. [Results] Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the 14 items was 0.845. The agreement rate for each item ranged from 66.7% to 80.3%, and the kappa coefficient ranged from 0.685 to 0.764. There were no significant differences between the schools for all items. As a result of the exploratory factor analysis, three factors were extracted. [Conclusion] Occupational therapy students were suggested to divide their difficulties by the extent of interpersonal annoyance, rather than by the characteristics of the BPSD behaviors themselves. The results suggest that the scale used in this study has reasonable reliability and construct validity.