Factor analysis of the stigma scale-child in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease

Objective: Illness stigma, or perceived stigma related to a chronic health condition, is pervasive among youth with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, no studies exist examining the psychometric properties of illness stigma measures in this population. Using a modified version of the Child Stigma Scale originally developed for youth with epilepsy, the current study investigated the factor structure and validity of this adapted measure (i.e., Stigma Scale -Child; SS-C) in youth with IBD.Methods: Factor analyses were conducted to determine the most parsimonious factor structure for the adapted 8 -item Stigma Scale - Child in a sample of 180 youth with IBD. Correlations were conducted to assess convergent validity, and a multiple regression was conducted to further evaluate the measure's predictive validity of child depressive symptoms.Results: The most parsimonious model for the SS-C is a one-factor solution with an error covariance between the two items assessing concealment/disclosure of IBD diagnosis.Conclusions: The SS-C is a psychometrically sound illness stigma measure in pediatric IBD that demonstrates strong convergent validity with psychosocial adjustment factors such as thwarted belongingness, illness uncer-tainty, and illness intrusiveness, as well as strong predictive validity with youth depressive symptoms. The SS-C is a viable option for use as a brief screener in youth with IBD across clinical and research settings.