LAUSR

OBJECTIVE Stigma contributes to diagnostic delay, disease concealment and reduced wellbeing for people with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and their communities. Despite the negative effects of stigma, there are no scales to measure stigma in people with MDR-TB. This study aimed to develop and validate a scale to measure stigma in people affected by MDR-TB in Vietnam. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING People with rifampicin resistant (RR)-MDR-TB who had completed at least three months of treatment were invited to complete a survey containing 45 draft stigma items. Data analysis included exploratory, internal consistency, content, criterion and construct validity and test-retest reliability. RESULTS A total of 315 people with RR/MDR-TB completed the survey. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a 14 item RR/MDR-TB stigma scale with four sub-scales including guilt, social exclusion, physical isolation and blame. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were good (Cronbach's Alpha=0.76, ICC=0.92). Construct validity was adequate with moderate correlations with related constructs. CONCLUSION Our RR/MDR-TB Scale demonstrated good psychometric properties in Vietnam. This scale will assist in the measurement of stigma in people with RR/MDR-TB. It will also aid in the evaluation of stigma reduction interventions in people with RR/MDR-TB.