Initial Development of a New Scale for Examining Couples' Beliefs About Their Role in Their Partner's Health: The Relationship Health Belief Scale

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Relationship and Health Belief Scale (RHBS), a new measure designed to identify how individuals in a relationship see their role and responsibility in their partners' physical health and health management. Method: Dyadic data from 234 heterosexual couples were used to examine the psychometric properties of the RHBS. Partners were sampled back to back and were asked to complete a battery of measures. Results: Results revealed that the RHBS fit a 1-factor solution of 6 items, a summed or mean score can be used, and that it is reliable for both men and women. Discussion: The RHBS measure is a brief measure for use in health care settings that physicians and health care providers could administer to identify potential points of intervention for patient's romantic partners to help boost and sustain changes in lifestyle and health management.