Introduction:

It is necessary to have valid and reliable instruments to identify the factors that influence adherence to treatment in people with cardiovascular risk factors. In Colombia, Bonilla y Gutierrez designed an instrument that has face and content validity. However, construct validity has not been demonstrated.

Objective:

To determine the construct validity and reliability of the instrument, factors that influence adherence to pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment in people with cardiovascular risk factors.

Methodology:

Methodological research. A total of 694 people with risk factors for cardiovascular disease residing in three Colombian cities (Neiva, Espinal and Tunja) participated. Exploratory factor analysis (extraction of principal components and Varimax rotation), confirmatory factor analysis (maximum likelihood estimation) and global and dimensional reliability test (Cronbach's alpha and Test-retest) were performed.

Results:

The exploratory factor analysis reported a 30-item instrument with a 4-factor structure (total cumulative variance of 42.6%). The fit indices of the proposed model indicated excellent absolute fit and acceptable incremental fit. The overall Cronbach's alpha was 0.86, indicating high reliability.

Discussion:

The study provides evidence of a more robust instrument than other versions. Standardized instruments to measure factors that influence adherence can be very useful for research and practice if they meet psychometric tests of reliability and validity.

Conclusion:

A valid and reliable instrument is made available to researchers and health personnel. Its use is recommended in populations similar to that of this study.