Development and Psychometric Testing of a Chinese Version of the Self-Reporting Age-Friendly Environment Assessment Tool (CS-AFEAT).

Purpose: To systematically develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a Chinese version of the Self-Reporting Age-Friendly Environment Assessment Tool (CS-AFEAT).

Method: The CS-AFEAT was developed based on literature review, semi-structured interviews with older adults, and a two-round Delphi procedure. Older adults (N = 836) from Guangdong Province were chosen to complete a survey using a convenience sampling method to test validity and reliability. One half of the sample was randomly selected for exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and the other half for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Internal consistency reliability was tested using Cronbach's alpha.

Results: A questionnaire comprising 61 items and six domains was constructed. All items had significant discrimination and had a strong relationship with the total score of the tool. In EFA and CFA, the factor loading of each item was >0.70. During CFA, the composite reliabilities of all domains were >0.90. The content validity index of the overall tool was 0.980. Cronbach's alpha of the overall tool was 0.962.

Conclusion: This scale can contribute to establishing age-friendly home and community environments. It may be a valuable reference for community service centers to assess and enhance their services, considering factors such as limited workforce and resources. Moreover, this scale can facilitate continuous improvement and long-term development of age-friendly care communities.