Abstract
Background
The index of capability (ICECAP) was developed using in-depth interviews with 40 older people and comprises five attributes: attachment, security, enjoyment, role and control. This paper explores the construct validity of these five capability attributes.
Methods
An interview survey was conducted with individuals aged 65 and over located across the UK. Data were analysed in six categories (socio-demographic variables and general well-being, contact with others, health, nature of the locality and environment, social support and participation) using chi-squared tests (for categorical variables) or one-way analysis of variance (for continuous variables).
Results
About 315 individuals were interviewed (response rate 66%). Relationships were generally as anticipated with, for example: strong relationships between age and capability and well-being and capability, but no relationships between capability and either sex or social class; strong relationships between physical measures of health and role, enjoyment and control, and between mental health measures and attachment and enjoyment.
Conclusions
This study provides some early evidence for the construct validity of the ICECAP measure. Where anticipated relationships were not observed this might in part be explained in that the ICECAP index asks about capability, but the factors with which associations were examined were largely and inevitably measures of function.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- HSE:
-
Health Survey for England
References
Robeyns, I. (2003). Sen’s capability approach and gender inequality: Selecting relevant capabilities. Feminist Economics, 9(2–3), 61–92. doi:10.1080/1354570022000078024.
Robeyns, I. (2005). The capability approach: A theoretical survey. Journal of Human Development, 6, 93–114. doi:10.1080/146498805200034266.
Nussbaum, M. C. (2003). Capabilities as fundamental entitlements: Sen and social justice. Feminist Economics, 9(2–3), 33–59. doi:10.1080/1354570022000077926.
Sen, A. (1992). Inequality reexamined. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.
Sen, A. (1993). Capability and well-being. In M. C. Nussbaum (Ed.), The quality of life. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Sen, A. (1982). Choice, welfare and measurement. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Sen, A. (2002). Rationality and freedom. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Robeyns, I. (2006). The capability approach in practice. Journal of Political Philosophy, 14, 351–376. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9760.2006.00263.x.
Grewal, I., Lewis, J., Flynn, T. N., Brown, J., Bond, J., & Coast, J. (2006). Developing attributes for a generic quality of life measure for older people: Preferences or capabilities? Social Science and Medicine, 62, 1891–1901. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.08.023.
Coast, J., Flynn, T. N., Grewal, I., Lewis, J., Natarajan, L., Sproston, K., et al. (2007). Developing an index of capability: A new form of measure for public health interventions? In Z. Morris & S. Dawson (Eds.), Future public health: Burdens, challenges and opportunities. London: Palgrave.
Streiner, D. L., & Norman, G. R. (2003). Health measurement scales. A practical guide to their development and use (3rd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Coast, J., Flynn, T. N., Natarajan, L., Sproston, K., Lewis, J., Louviere, J. J., & Peters, T. J. (2008). Valuing the ICECAP capability index for older people. Social Science and Medicine. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2008.05.015.
StataCorp.STATA statistical software: Release 8.0. 2003. Stata Corporation, College Station, TX.
Cox, B. D., Blaxter, M., Buckle, A. L. J., Fenner, N. P., Golding, J. F., Gore, M., et al. (1987). The health and lifestyle survey. London: Health Promotion Research Trust.
Acknowledgements
Thanks are due to all those who participated in the survey and to the survey interviewers. We would also like to thank the two anonymous reviewers for their comments. This work was supported by the MRC Health Services Research Collaboration.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Coast, J., Peters, T.J., Natarajan, L. et al. An assessment of the construct validity of the descriptive system for the ICECAP capability measure for older people. Qual Life Res 17, 967–976 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-008-9372-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-008-9372-z