Dimensional Validity of the Inventory of Ethical Problems in Primary Health Care in the Context of Children's Health

Abstract

Objective: to assess the dimensional validity and reliability of the Inventory of Ethical Problems in Primary Health Care adapted to the children's health context. Method: a cross-sectional study with 101 nurses from the Family Health Strategy Units in a city of the Brazilian Northeast region. Data collection was carried out between May 2016 and June 2017. Construct validity was assessed by means of exploratory factor analysis and reliability by verifying internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Results: the factor analysis revealed the multidimensionality of the Inventory of Ethical Problems in Primary Health Care-Children's Health. It consisted of 19 items, distributed into 4 factors: Factor 1 - Organization of the health system; Factor 2 - Professional Ethics; Factor 3 - Teamwork; and Factor 4 - Parents (or guardians) autonomy expression. Overall internal consistency by Cronbach's alpha and for the factors was moderate to satisfactory. Conclusion: factor analysis revealed that the inventory has a multidimensional structure with 4 factors. The study showed evidence of validity and reliability that recommends the application of the IPE-APS to the context of children's health.