Assessing cross-cultural equivalence through confirmatory factor analysis.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Psychology
• Sociology

Background:

• Family caregivers, particularly adult children, face unique challenges.
• Measuring caregiver rewards is crucial for understanding and supporting this population.
• Existing scales may not be culturally appropriate for diverse caregiver groups.

Purpose of the Study:

• To cross-culturally validate the English-developed Picot's caregiver rewards scale (PCRS) for Chinese adult children family caregivers in the United States.
• To assess the psychometric properties of the revised Chinese PCRS.
• To determine if the Chinese PCRS can be used as a summative measure of perceived caregiver rewards.

Main Methods:

• Confirmatory factor analysis was used to validate the 21-item revised Chinese PCRS with 137 participants.
• Goodness-of-fit indices (GFI=.94, AGFI=.93), SRMR (.09), and Chi-square/df ratio (2.7) were evaluated.
• Construct validity was examined through associations with filial beliefs and affection.

Main Results:

• A one-factor structure for the 21-item Chinese PCRS was supported.
• The scale demonstrated good reliability (standardized alpha = .90) and significant factor loadings.
• Significant associations with filial beliefs (r=.32) and filial affection (r=.23) supported construct validity.

Conclusions:

• The Chinese PCRS is a reliable and valid measure for assessing perceived caregiver rewards among Chinese adult children family caregivers.
• The validated scale has potential for evaluating interventions aimed at reducing caregiver burden.
• This culturally adapted tool can enhance research and practice in gerontology and family caregiving.