Reliability and Validity of the Chinese Caregiver Risk Screen

A culturally validated measure is important to identify the needs and challenges of family caregivers so that appropriate interventions are applied. This study assessed the reliability and validity of the forward- backward translated Chinese version of the 12-item Caregiver Risk Screen (CRS) when used with 230 randomly selected Chinese family caregivers who participated in a longitudinal telephone survey on Chinese family caregivers between 2004 and 2005. A Cronbach’s alpha of .96 was reported for the scale in both waves. A moderate test-retest reliability was reported for the overall score (r = .43) and all the items (r = .23 to .47). All items were loaded into one factor in factor analysis. A higher CRS score correlated significantly with a higher level of caregiving burden, a higher depression level, worse physical and mental health of the caregivers, and more health problems and functional limitations of the care receivers. The scale was a reliable and valid tool for assessing the risk level of the Chinese family caregivers. While further research on more diverse groups of Chinese family caregivers in Canada is needed, the scale is an appropriate assessment tool for health and community support professionals working with Chinese family caregivers in Canada.