Reliability and Validity of the Korean version of the Pain in Older Adults Knowledge Survey (K-POAKS) among Nurses Who Have Worked in Long-term Care Hospitals

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to verify the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the Pain in Older Adults Knowledge Survey (K-POAKS) to assess knowledge of pain in older adults including people with dementia for use in long-term care hospital nurses. Methods: Survey data were collected from a convenience sample of 179 nurses who have worked in long-term care hospitals in B, D and U cities. The Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 for internal consistency for test reliability was conducted. The content, criterion-related and construct validity were evaluated using SPSS/WIN 22.0. Results: The KR 20 was .75 and Content Validity Ratio (CVR) was a range of 0.84~1.00. The criterion-related validity was positively correlated with attitudes (r=.28, p＜.001) and performance (r=.21, p=.004). The construct validity of K-POAKS was analyzed by conducting the principal component method using the exploratory factor analysis varimax rotation, and seven factors were derived above the eigenvalue of 1.0. The seven factors explained 58.5% of the total variation. Conclusion: The Korean version of the POAKS showed satisfactory internal reliability, content validity, criterion-related validity and construct validity. These results suggest that the K-POAKS could be used as a suitable tool to measure the knowledge of the aged people’s pain, including that of dementia patients for long-term care hospital nurses.