Structural Validity of the Rheumatology Attitudes Index in Systemic Sclerosis: Analysis from the UCLA Scleroderma Quality of Life Study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the structural validity of the Rheumatology Attitudes Index (RAI), a widely used measure of rheumatic disease-related helplessness in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).

METHODS: Patients with physician-confirmed SSc from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Scleroderma Quality of Life Study (n = 208) received clinical examinations and completed self-report questionnaires. The structural validity of the RAI was examined through confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis (CFA/EFA).

RESULTS: A tenable factor structure was not identified through CFA or EFA.

CONCLUSION: The present structural analysis did not support the use of the RAI with SSc patients.