Psychometric evaluation of the Chinese version of the Activities of Daily Living Questionnaire (ADLQ-CV).

BACKGROUND: This study examines the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Activities of Daily Living Questionnaire (ADLQ-CV) in a sample of older Hong Kong Chinese adults with dementia.

METHOD: The ADLQ-CV was administered to primary family caregivers of 125 community-dwelling individuals with dementia. Assessments were then made of the scale's reliability, validity and factor structure.

RESULTS: Factor analysis yielded six factors that closely resembled the six subscales proposed in the original scale. The ADLQ-CV demonstrated excellent convergent validity with the Chinese version of the Disability Assessment for Dementia (rp = -0.92, p < 0.001). The internal consistency of the ADLQ-CV was good (Cronbach's alpha = 0.81). Excellent test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.998) and inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.997) of the ADLQ-CV were obtained. The ADLQ-CV showed a significant negative association with global mental states (rp = -0.80, p < 0.001), but it did not correlate with the age or educational level of individuals with dementia.

CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that the ADLQ-CV is a valid and reliable instrument for evaluating the functional abilities of Hong Kong Chinese people with dementia. The brevity and simplicity of administration make it a potentially useful tool for routine assessment of functional status of people with dementia in community or hospital outpatient settings.