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Table 2 The Death Literacy Index, internal consistency, and descriptive statistics of 8 subscales, and psychometric properties of 29 final scale items

From: Psychometric validation of the death literacy index and benchmarking of death literacy level in a representative uk population sample

Subscales and items

β (95% CI)

p

r2

α/ ω

M (SD)1

Practical Knowledge

0.824 (0.676, 0.949)

.020

.68

.791/.784

5.35 (1.91)

Doing hands on care

0.698 (0.595, 0.850)

.005

.49

.763/.776

4.73 (2.43)

Q1. Feeding a person or assisting them to eat

0.856 (0.807, 0.907)

.006

.73

Q2. Bathing a person

0.848 (0.797, 0.910)

.006

.72

Q3. Lifting a person or assisting to transfer them

0.598 (0.511, 0.680)

.008

.36

Q4. Administering injections

0.415 (0.320, 0.517)

.005

.17

Talking support

Q5. Talk about death, dying or grieving to a close friend

0.679 (0.552, 0.823)

0.705 (0.618, 0.782)

.008

.006

.46

.50

.780/.784

5.96 (2.16)

Q6. Talk about death, dying or grieving to a child

0.585 (0.494, 0.675)

.011

.34

Q7. Talk to a newly bereaved person about their loss

0.677 (0.594, 0.740)

0.12

.46

Q8. Talk to a GP about support at home or in their place of care for a dying person

0.788 (0.714, 0.840)

.005

.61

Community Knowledge

0.863 (0.764, 0.948)

.008

.74

.922/.922

4.48 (2.29)

Support groups

Q9. People with life threatening illnesses

0.608 (0.514, 0.683)

0.883 (0.843, 0.913)

.022

.015

.37

.78

.923/.923

5.06 (2.43)

Q10. People who are dying

0.935 (0.903, 0.954)

.012

.87

Q11. Carers for people who are dying

0.847 (0.790, 0.879)

.021

.72

Q12. People who are grieving

0.801 (0.739, 0.846)

.011

.64

Accessing help

Q13. Access community support

0.965 (0.886, 1.073)

0.851 (0.799, 0.885)

.005

.013

.93

.73

.927/.928

3.91 (2.77)

Q14. Provide day to day care for the dying person

0.889 (0.852, 0.917)

.006

.79

Q15. Access equipment required for care

0.897 (0.862, 0.929)

.006

.81

Q16. Access culturally appropriate support

0.853 (0.816, 0.891)

.009

.73

Q17. Access emotional support for myself

0.751 (0.670, 0.804)

.021

.56

Factual knowledge

Q18. I know the law regarding dying at home

0.809 (0.721, 0.872)

0.711 (0.641, 0.783)

.004

.005

.65

.51

.924/.925

3.05 (2.60)

Q19. I feel confident in knowing what documents you need to complete in planning for death

0.835 (0.789, 0.873)

.012

.70

Q20. I know how to navigate the health care system to support a dying person to receive care

0.907 (0.870, 0.935)

.010

.82

Q21. I know how to navigate funeral services and options

0.741 (0.671, 0.791)

.013

.55

Q22. I know how to access palliative care in my area

0.872 (0.838, 0.897)

.011

.76

Q23. I have sufficient understanding of illness trajectories to make informed decisions around medical treatments available and how that will shape quality of end of life

0.786 (0.740, 0.831)

.003

..62

Q24. I know about the contribution the funeral home staff can make at end of life

0.707 (0.650, 0.771)

.008

.50

Experiential Knowledge

Q25. Increased my emotional strength to help others with death and dying processes

0.623 (0.467, 0.743)

0.710 (0.634, 0.780)

.014

.008

.39

.50

.868/.871

6.26 (2.12)

Q26. Led me to re-evaluate what is important and not important in life

0.676 (0.575, 0.746)

.006

.46

Q27. Developed my wisdom and understanding

0.843 (0.776, 0.887)

.013

.71

Q28. Made me more compassionate toward myself

0.731 (0.654, 0.785)

.008

.53

Q29. Provided me with skills and strategies when facing similar challenges in the future

0.829 (0.769, 0.872)

.011

.69

  1. 1Range is from 0–10, β standardised regression coefficient. r2 squared regression coefficient. CI bootstrapped confidence interval. Α Cronbach’s alpha
  2. Ω Coefficient omega