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.