Validation and Psychometric Properties of the Chinese Version of the Transition Expectation Scale in Pediatric Cancer...

Cancer survivorship begins at diagnosis. Transition expectation is a key modifiable factor that shapes adolescents' movement from adolescence to adult care and is a prerequisite for successful transition and better survival outcomes.

This study aimed to translate the Transition Expectation Scale (TES) into Chinese (TES-CN) and address its psychometric properties in pediatric cancer survivors (PCSs).

We used a two-phase design. First, the TES was translated and culturally adapted into Chinese in accordance with guidelines. Second, a cross-sectional psychometric evaluation was conducted in a convenience sample of Chinese PCSs. Reliability and validity were examined.

Two hundred and seventeen PCSs were recruited for psychometric evaluation. The Content validity of the TES-CN was satisfactory, with a scale-level content validity index of 0.91 and an item-level content validity index ranging from 0.78 to 1.00. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported an 11-item, three-factor structure explaining 64.3% of the variance. Compared to the original single-factor structure, the three-factor model demonstrated a better fit (Δχ² = 116.58, Δdf = 13, p < 0.001). The convergent and discriminant validity results also jointly indicated that the three constructs were empirically distinct, and the model exhibited satisfactory construct validity. The TES-CN had good reliability, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.89 and test-retest coefficients ranging from 0.60 to 0.94, indicating acceptable to excellent temporal stability.

The TES-CN is a reliable and valid tool for assessing transition expectations among Chinese PCSs and can be used in Chinese research and clinical settings.