Psychometric Validation of the Persian Version of Short Form Self-Regulation Questionnaire in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the Short Form Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SSRQ) among Iranian community-dwelling older adults and to determine its optimal cutoff point. In Shiraz, Iran, a cross-sectional study of 500 older adults ≥ 60 years was conducted in two steps. The forward–backward method was used for translation. Psychometric properties, such as the face and content validity, based on the point of view of experts, construct validity based on exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), convergent validity by assessing the relationship with the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE-10), and reliability based on Cronbach’s α were examined. A receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was plotted to confirm the cutoff point. Validity of both the face and the content was confirmed. The first stage of construct validity was performed using the kurtosis test and the EFA, and finally, only 20 items in four subscales were loaded with 76.34% of the total variance. The CFA indicated a good fit to the data (root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.059; comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.92; and goodness of fit index (GFI) = 0.89). Cronbach’s α coefficient of the SSRQ-20 increased to 0.87. A significant positive correlation was found between the SSRQ-20 and the GSE-10 (r = 0.44), indicating acceptable convergent validity. The optimal cutoff score for differentiating older adults in terms of self-regulation was 71. This study demonstrates that the Persian version of the SSRQ, which contains 20 items, is a valid and reliable tool for assessing self-regulation in Iranian community-dwelling older adults.