Development and Validation of a Healthy Aging Scale: A Preliminary Study in Beijing

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Psychometrics
• Public Health

Background:

• Healthy aging is a critical aspect of gerontological research.
• Assessing healthy aging requires culturally relevant and validated instruments.
• Existing scales may not fully capture the multidimensional aspects of healthy aging in diverse populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a Healthy Aging Scale (HAS) specifically for Chinese elders.
• To identify the key domains contributing to healthy aging in this population.
• To provide a reliable tool for assessing healthy aging in social work practice.

Main Methods:

• Purposive sampling of 367 older adults in Beijing.
• Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to determine scale structure.
• Reliability tests (internal consistency) and hierarchical regression (criterion-related validity).

Main Results:

• The HAS was refined from 51 to 46 items.
• A robust five-factor structure emerged: physical functioning, cognitive functioning, activities of daily living, psychological well-being, and social engagement.
• The HAS demonstrated high internal consistency reliability and criterion-related validity.

Conclusions:

• The developed Healthy Aging Scale (HAS) is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing healthy aging in Chinese elders.
• The HAS effectively measures five key dimensions of healthy aging.
• This scale can be utilized in social work services to promote healthy aging initiatives.