Research Article: Psychometric properties and cross-cultural adaptation of the Chinese version of the family caregiver communication tool-chronic illness
Abstract:
With the rapid aging of the Chinese population, family caregivers play a pivotal role in the management of chronic diseases. Effective family communication is crucial for reducing caregiver burden and improving care quality. However, China lacks a generic, culturally adapted instrument to assess communication patterns in these specific settings. This study aimed to translate the Family Caregiver Communication Tool-Chronic Illness (FCCT-CI) into Chinese and evaluate its psychometric properties.
Following Brislin’s translation model, the FCCT-CI was translated, back-translated, and cross-culturally adapted through expert consultation and pilot testing. From March to July 2023, a cross-sectional study was conducted with 319 family caregivers recruited via convenience sampling from a tertiary hospital in Henan Province. To ensure rigorous validation, the total sample was randomly split into two independent subsamples: Sample A ( n =?110) was used for Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), and Sample B ( n =?209) was used for Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Psychometric properties were evaluated using item analysis, content validity, construct validity, internal consistency, and test–retest reliability.
The Chinese FCCT-CI comprises 10 items across two dimensions. Exploratory Factor Analysis (Sample A) extracted two factors explaining 71.46% of the total variance. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (Sample B) demonstrated excellent model fit ( ? 2 / df =?1.707, CFI?=?0.988, TLI?=?0.979, RMSEA?=?0.058). Content validity was robust, with an S-CVI/Ave of 0.94 and I-CVI ranging from 0.80 to 1.00. The scale exhibited high reliability, with a Cronbach’s ? of 0.846, split-half reliability of 0.943, and a test–retest intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.920.
The Chinese version of the FCCT-CI demonstrates good reliability and validity. It provides a reliable tool for assessing family communication patterns among family caregivers of patients with chronic diseases in China.
Introduction:
With the rapid aging of the Chinese population, family caregivers play a pivotal role in the management of chronic diseases. Effective family communication is crucial for reducing caregiver burden and improving care quality. However, China lacks a generic, culturally adapted instrument to assess communication patterns in these specific settings. This study aimed to translate the Family Caregiver Communication Tool-Chronic Illness (FCCT-CI) into Chinese and evaluate its psychometric properties.
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