The gains associated with caregiving (GAC) scale: reliability and validity of the Chinese version

Abstract

This article describes the cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric testing of the Chinese version of the gains associated with caregiving (GAC) scale. This tool is designed to measure self-reported gains experienced by caregivers of people with dementia. The adaptation process entailed back-translation and validation by a committee of experts. Content validity was analyzed using the content validity coefficient, and construct validity was analyzed by exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. The reliability of the scale was evaluated by using Cronbach’s α coefficient and the test-retest reliability coefficient. With a cross-sectional study design, we invited caregivers of people with dementia to complete the Chinese version of the GAC scale. Factor analysis suggested a four-factor solution in which all 27 items were retained, accounting for 65.76% of the variance. The Cronbach’s α was 0.968, and the retest reliability coefficient was 0.886. The Chinese version of the GAC scale appears to be a valid and reliable scale for assessing gains in family nursing practice proficiency.