Abstract
Objectives: To assess the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of Aging Perceptions Questionnaire (C-APQ).
Method:Participants aged 65 years and over were recruited from February 2012 to November 2012. The Aging Perceptions Questionnaire was translated into Chinese version professionally. Content validity was examined by a panel of seven experts; item reliabilities were assessed by test–retest; internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach's α coefficient; half of the sample (N = 379) was selected to explore factorial structure of the C-APQ by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and another half of the sample (N = 379) was selected to confirm the findings from the EFA by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Statistical package SPSS version 18.0 and Amos 17.0 were used for the analysis.
Results: The Cronbach's α coefficient of the C-APQ was 0.884. The test–retest reliability was satisfactory, with all intraclass correlation coefficients greater than 0.4. The overall content validity index was greater than 0.99. Seven factors (timeline acute/chronic, timeline cyclical, emotional representations, control positive, control negative, consequences positive and consequences negative) were identified in EFA and confirmed in CFA.
Conclusion: The C-APQ could be a reliable and a valid measure of the self-perceptions of aging in the elderly in China, which may help to improve the life quality and extend longevity of the elderly.
Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge the excellent cooperation from the community workers of Yangpu District in Shanghai and all the participants in the study. We also thank all the authors of the original APQ.
Disclosure statement
No conflict of interest has been declared by the authors.