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Psychometric evaluation of the Chinese version of the State Anxiety Scale for Children

Ho Cheung William Li1, Violeta Lopez

  • 1The Nethersole School of Nursing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong.

Research in Nursing & Health
|May 14, 2004
PubMed

Insights

This study validates the Chinese State Anxiety Scale for Children, finding it reliable for assessing surgical anxiety in children aged 7-12. It’s a useful tool for planning interventions and evaluating anxiety levels.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Psychology
  • Surgical Anxiety Assessment
  • Psychometric Validation

Background:

  • Anxiety in children undergoing surgery requires effective assessment tools for intervention planning.
  • The State Anxiety Scale for Children (SASC) is a potential tool, but its psychometric properties in Chinese populations needed evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the State Anxiety Scale for Children (SASC-C).
  • To determine the reliability and validity of the SASC-C for assessing anxiety in Chinese children.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 237 primary school children and 112 day surgery patients (ages 7-12).
  • Psychometric evaluation included internal consistency, concurrent validity, construct validity, and factor analysis.

Main Results:

  • The Chinese SASC-C demonstrated adequate internal-consistency reliability.
  • The scale showed appropriate concurrent and construct validity, confirmed by factor analyses.
  • A good fit was observed between the scale's factor structure and the collected data.

Conclusions:

  • The Chinese version of the State Anxiety Scale for Children is a psychometrically sound self-report measure.
  • It is suitable for assessing anxiety levels in Chinese children aged 7-12 years undergoing surgery.
  • This validated tool can aid in planning and evaluating interventions for pediatric surgical anxiety.

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