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Validation of the Chinese translation of the 6-item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale in elderly Chinese

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2008

Grace Tak Yu Leung ,
Jenny de Jong Gierveld  and
Linda Chiu Wa Lam
Grace Tak Yu Leung*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Tai Po Hospital, HKSAR, China.
Jenny de Jong Gierveld
Affiliation:
Faculty of Social Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Linda Chiu Wa Lam
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, HKSAR, China
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Dr Grace Tak Yu Leung, Department of Psychiatry, Tai Po Hospital, 9 Chuen On Road, Tai Po, New Territories, HKSAR, China. Phone: +852 26076111; Fax: +852 26623568. Email: schroederleung@yahoo.com.hk.
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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 (rpb = 0.71; p < 0.001). The overall loneliness score showed significant correlation with Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (ρ = 0.29; p = 0.003), current smoking status (rpb = 0.24; p = 0.014), and some objective social characteristics.

Conclusion: The Chinese version of the 6-item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale is a reliable and valid measure of loneliness in Chinese elders.

Keywords

assessmentratingreliabilityvaliditycorrelationsocialemotionalelders
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 20 , Issue 6 , December 2008 , pp. 1262 - 1272
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2008

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