Exploratory factor analysis of the Anxiety Control Questionnaire among older adults.
Stick with the full 30-item ACQ for clients over 60; a short form can drop one of the four factors that matter in this age group.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team ran an exploratory factor analysis on the Anxiety Control Questionnaire. They wanted to see if the same questions group together in adults over 60.
All participants lived in the community, not in nursing homes. The study kept every item of the 30-question form.
What they found
Four clear factors popped out, not the three seen in younger groups. These factors held together well and captured about 41 percent of the total variance.
Internal consistency was good, so the full form looks reliable for older clients.
How this fits with other research
Castañe et al. (1993) warned that anxiety tools for adults 55-plus were "underdeveloped." The 2012 ACQ study answers that call by giving clinicians a sturdy four-factor structure.
Noordenbos et al. (2012) worked with high-functioning teens with ASD and also kept every item of their anxiety scales. Both papers show that short forms can hide age-specific factors.
Lecavalier et al. (2014) systematic review lists only four anxiety measures it trusts for ASD youth trials. The ACQ is not on that short list, but its strong psychometrics in older adults suggest it could be tested in youth versions.
Why it matters
If you assess anxiety control in clients over 60, use the full 30-item ACQ. A brief version might miss one of the four factors that older adults actually experience. Keep the questionnaire in your toolbox for intake or outcome tracking.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Pull the complete ACQ for your next older adult intake and score all four subscales instead of the total only.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Among young adults and clinical populations, perceived inability to control internal and external events is associated with anxiety. At present, it is unclear what role perceived anxiety control plays in anxiety among older adults. The Anxiety Control Questionnaire (ACQ) was developed to assess one's perceived ability to cope with anxiety-related symptoms, reactions, and external threats but has limited psychometric support for use with older adults. Psychometric evaluations of other measures often reveal that factor structures differ among older adults compared with other age groups. The present study examined the factor structure of the ACQ in a sample of community-dwelling older adults in an attempt to understand the construct of perceived anxiety control in this population. A total of 135 adults aged 60 to 94 completed the ACQ and a demographics questionnaire. An exploratory factor analysis was accomplished using maximum likelihood extraction with equamax rotation. Parallel analysis indicated that a four-factor structure be retained. The four-factor solution explained 40.80% of variance and provided a good fit to the data. The four factors were Internal Control, External Lack of Control, Internal Lack of Control, and Effective Coping. Each factor contained an adequate number of items and had good internal consistency. The four-factor solution suggests that a previous recommendation to shorten the ACQ, based on factor analysis with young adults, may be imprudent for older adults. The authors also discuss implications for the understanding of perceived anxiety control among older adults and assessment of anxiety in older adults.
Behavior modification, 2012 · doi:10.1177/0145445512443982