Psychometric properties of a Chinese version of four-factor colorectal cancer screening belief scale

Screening improves the early diagnosis rate of colorectal cancer (CRC) and effectively reduces its mortality. The four-factor CRC screening belief scale is conducive to understanding the psychometric properties of screening beliefs, but no Chinese version of this scale is available. The purpose of this study was to test the psychometric properties of a Chinese version of the four-factor ​CRC ​screening belief scale in ​patients ​with cancer and their relatives.

The four-factor CRC screening belief scale was translated into Chinese based on Brislin's model. A panel review ensured the cultural adaptation and content validity of the scale. The scale was then administered to a convenience sample of 425 Chinese people recruited from July 2019 to June 2021.

Exploratory factor analysis identified the factor structure for the Chinese version of the four-factor CRC screening belief scale, including perceived barriers, perceived benefits, self-efficacy, and optimism. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the model fits well. The scale-level content validity index was 1.0. The correlation between the Chinese version of the four-factor CRC screening belief scale and the CRC health belief model scale was statistically significant (r = 0.831, P < 0.01). McDonald's omega coefficients for the entire scale were 0.939 and 0.774-0.948 for the four subscales. The translated scale had test-retest reliability of 0.719 and split-half reliability of 0.646.

The Chinese version of the four-factor CRC screening belief scale showed adequate reliability and validity. The translation and validation of psychosocial assessment tools for CRC screening across languages, cultures, and countries will contribute to further international research collaborations and the improvement of the prospects for the prevention and care of CRC.