Development and validation of a social isolation assessment scale for older adults with chronic diseases

The study aims to develop an instrument to assess social isolation and identify psychometric characteristics of chronically ill older adults in China.

In the development phase, an administered version of the scale was developed based on the conceptual model of social isolation through literature review, qualitative interviews, expert correspondence, and pre-surveys. In the psychometric assessment phase, validity and reliability of the scale were further assessed through psychometric tests.

426 participants were included in the psychometric assessment phase. EFA extracted five common factors with a cumulative variance contribution of 69.308 %. CFA revealed a good model fit, with Cronbach's α of 0.889, and ICC of 0.926. The 5 dimensions were self-isolation, estrangement, stigma, meaninglessness, and supportive alienation, totaling 17 items.

The scale developed in this study has good reliability and validity, and can be used by healthcare workers to assess the social isolation status of older adults with chronic diseases in China.