Psychometric Properties of the Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire-Short Form (AAQ-SF) in Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, despite cultural norms traditionally encouraging older adults to live with their families, a growing number now reside in homes for the elderly. Limited research has explored how attitudes toward aging affect these institutionalized older adults. This study examined the construct validity of the 12-item Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire-Short Form (AAQ-SF) and its association with quality of life among 317 residents of 13 retirement homes. The AAQ-SF showed acceptable internal consistency for the total scale (Cronbach's α = 0.71), though subscale reliabilities were modest. Confirmatory factor analysis supported good construct validity for a three-factor model-χ²/df = 1.91, TLI = 0.94, CFI = 0.95, RMSEA = 0.05-but the results suggested multidimensionality of the psychological growth factor. Positive attitudes toward aging were associated with greater quality of life, providing some evidence for convergent validity. The findings suggest that the AAQ-SF may be appropriate for assessing attitudes toward aging among older adults in Sri Lanka, though further validation is recommended.