Psychometric properties of the dementia knowledge assessment scale-traditional Chinese among home care workers in Taiwan

Abstract

Background The Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale (DKAS) is a reliable and valid measurement of dementia knowledge for diverse allied health professionals but its traditional Chinese version has not been formally validated yet. The purpose of this study was to translate the DKAS from English to traditional Chinese and evaluate its psychometric properties among home care workers in Taiwan. Methods The DKAS scale was translated into traditional Chinese through a forward translation and back translation process following the cross-cultural translation guideline. A total of 285 home care workers in eastern Taiwan were recruited using convenience sample. A total of 252 participants completed the questionnaires, giving a response rate of 88.4%. We tested the construct validity by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and evaluated the reliability by internal consistency. Results The results of the CFA supported the 25-item, four-factor model for the DKAS-TC. The DKAS-TC achieved a good overall Cronbach’s alpha of .93 and McDonald’s omega of 0.94 with acceptable subscales McDonald’s omega ranged from .77 to .82. Conclusions The DKAS-TC has adequate construct validity and reliability and can serve as an assessment tool to evaluate the knowledge level of home care workers in a dementia training program in Taiwan. The dementia knowledge level among home care workers in Taiwan was inadequate. There is a need for developing suitable dementia care training tailored to their learning needs and educational levels, and to improve their quality of care for those with dementia.

Effects of a dementia virtual reality‐based training with peer support for home care workers: A cluster randomized controlled trial

“…A higher score represents better knowledge in dementia 20 . The Cronbach's α of the traditional Chinese version was 0.93 21 …”

“…20 The Cronbach's α of the traditional Chinese version was 0.93. 21 Attitude towards people with dementia were measured by the Approaches to Dementia Questionnaire (ADQ). Approaches to Dementia Questionnaire contains 19 items based on 5-point Likert responses.…”

Developing a shortened version of the dementia knowledge assessment scale (DKAS-TC) with a sample in Taiwan: an item response theory approach

“…There are currently three translated versions, including one using traditional Chinese characters [ 14 ] and another one with simplified Chinese characters [ 15 ]. The third one, also using traditional Chinese characters (the DKAS-TC), was developed by Sung et al and is the version of the questionnaire we used in this study [ 16 ]. In fact, there are considerable differences in the three Chinese-language versions of the DKAS2 in terms of the wordings of the test items and the scoring methods.…”

“…Our study used the third traditional Chinese-language translation of the DKAS2, also known as the DKAS-TC [ 16 ]. The results of the CFA confirmed the validity of the use of the four-factor, 25-item model for the DKAS-TC.…”

“…For instance, the DKAS-C and the DKAS-TC used different vocabularies for translating the term “depression” reflecting different cultural traditions between Taiwan and China. Although the DKAS-TC has shown good psychometric properties, their participants were limited to healthcare providers [ 16 ] . Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether their questionnaire is applicable to our target population: the general public.…”