Adaptation and validation of the short version of the B-IPQ for the assessment of disease perception in older Colombian adults

BACKGROUND: Illness perception is a key construct in Health Psychology, as it influences therapeutic adherence, coping, and quality of life in patients with chronic diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (B-IPQ) in older Colombian adults with chronic diseases, in order to have a validated and culturally appropriate tool for this context. METHODS: An instrumental design was used, with a sample of 325 participants (M = 68.4 years), and the B-IPQ was administered along with scales of emotion regulation (ERQ), self-efficacy (SEMCD-S), fatigue, and quality of life (SF-36). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed, along with assessments of factorial invariance by sex and age, Spearman correlations, and estimates of internal consistency using Cronbach's α and McDonald's ω. RESULTS: The four-item ultrashort version (Ultra B-IPQ) exhibits an acceptable unifactorial structure (CFI = 0.99; TLI = 0.97; RMSEA = 0.10), excellent reliability (α = 0.926; ω = 0.930), and evidence of factorial invariance across sociodemographic groups (gender and age). Significant negative correlations were observed with quality of life and self-efficacy, and positive correlations with fatigue, supporting its convergent and divergent validity. CONCLUSION: The Ultra B-IPQ is a valid, reliable, and culturally sensitive instrument, suitable for assessing illness perception in particular older Colombian adults from the northern coast. Its brief administration makes it a useful tool for detecting maladaptive beliefs and designing psychological and community interventions focused on coping and therapeutic adherence.