Validation of the Chinese translation of the 6-item De Jong Gierveld loneliness scale in elderly Chinese

G.T.Y. Leung, J. de Jong-Gierveld, L.C.W. Lam

    Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

    Abstract

    Background: This study aims to develop and validate a Chinese translation of the 6-item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale - a widely used instrument to measure loneliness - specifically determining its psychometric properties in community-dwelling Chinese elders in Hong Kong. The relationships between loneliness and several clinical variables are also assessed. Method: The English version was translated into Chinese. Content validity was established by group discussion and Delphi panel. The questionnaire was administered to 103 Hong Kong Chinese community-dwelling elders. Statistical analysis was performed to test the reliability and validity of the scale. Results: The content validity was high as shown by the results of the Delphi panel. Cronbach's α of the 6-item scale was 0.76. For the inter-rater reliability of the six items, the intra-class correlation coefficients ranged from 0.98 to 1.00. The emotional loneliness subscale significantly correlated with the social loneliness subscale (ρ = 0.37; p < 0.001). In using a direct question to measure loneliness, 21 participants (20%) reported that they were lonely. The overall loneliness scale score significantly correlated with the answers on the direct question of loneliness (r
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)1262-1272
    Number of pages11
    JournalInternational Psychogeriatrics
    Volume20
    Issue number6
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2008

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Validation of the Chinese translation of the 6-item De Jong Gierveld loneliness scale in elderly Chinese'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this