The Negative Emotions Due to Chronic Illness Screening Test (NECIS): Construct Validity in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease in Mainland China

Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) are susceptible to the negative emotion and its adverse influence on the disease prognosis. It is of great necessity to have a simple measurement to timely assess negative emotions in patients with CAD. The Negative Emotions due to Chronic Illness Screening Test (NECIS) is a newly developed tool to measure negative emotions. However, the construct validity has not been established yet. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to test the construct validity of the NECIS in individuals with CAD in mainland China. The tool was administered in a convenience sample of 376 patients with CAD hospitalized in three general hospitals in Wuhan City, China. Construct validity was evaluated through factorial validity, convergent validity and discriminant validity. Additionally, the assumed relationship between negative emotions with other associated variables (perceived control and perceived social support) was tested to provide additional evidence of the construct validity of the NECIS. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis established and confirmed a two-factorial structure of the NECIS. Convergent validity and discriminant validity of the NECIS were proven to be adequate. Two hypotheses regarding the relationship between negative emotions and associated variables (perceived control and perceived social support) were confirmed, which supported the satisfactory construct validity of the NECIS. The NECIS had sound construct validity when applied to patients with CAD in mainland China. This study added new knowledge regarding the construct validity of the NECIS, which supported its psychometric properties for future use.