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

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 alpha 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 (rho = 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 (r(pb) = 0.713; p < 0.001). The overall loneliness score showed significant correlation with Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (rho = 0.29; p = 0.003), current smoking status (r(pb) = 0.243 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.