Year: 2025
Type: preprint
Abstract: Objective To examine the reliability, validity, and factor structure of the Family Values Scale among older Chinese adults. Background Family values shape caregiving practices, intergenerational relationships, and health outcomes in later life. In China, rapid social change has transformed traditional filial norms, yet few validated instruments capture contemporary family values among older adults. Method We applied Dima’s six-step psychometric validation protocol using data from the 2018 China Longitudinal Ageing Social Survey (CLASS; N = 11,418). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses assessed dimensionality, while internal consistency, measurement invariance, and sensitivity analyses evaluated reliability and robustness. Results After removing two poorly performing items, the revised six-item scale demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.80) and strong model fit in confirmatory factor analysis (CFI = 0.98; TLI = 0.96; RMSEA = 0.06). All factor loadings exceeded recommended thresholds, supporting a unidimensional structure that was invariant across key sociodemographic groups. Conclusion The six-item Family Values Scale is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring contemporary family values among older Chinese adults. Implications This parsimonious scale can be used in large population studies and policy evaluations to better understand family-based care and ageing in rapidly changing societies.
Source: medRxiv
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
Award: G7685821281
OpenAlex ID: W4410074743