The reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the caregiver burden inventory

Background: The assessment of burden has become a challenging task for most researchers because cultural, ethical, religious, and other personal values may influence perceptions of the meaning and consequences of burden. The lack of examination of the psychometric properties of the burden measures across studies limits the scientific rigor for generating additional research into "burden." Objective: To examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Caregiver Burden Inventory for its utility in clinical and research practice. Method: The first investigation evaluated the consistency between the Chinese and English versions of the Caregiver Burden Inventory. The second investigation established the internal consistent reliability, test-retest reliability, content validity, concurrent validity, and construct validity. Results: A paired t-test and intra-class correlation indicated that the Chinese version of the Caregiver Burden Inventory was a very good reflection of the English version and demonstrated item equivalence. It also showed adequate internal consistency reliability, appropriate content validity, and concurrent validity. Factor analysis revealed moderate intercorrelations between subscales and high factor loadings also helped to clarify the psychometric meaning. Discussion: The reliability and validity information presented in this paper support using the Chinese version of the Caregiver Burden Inventory as a research instrument in measuring the caregiver burden in the Chinese population. Further study is needed to discriminate the developmental, emotional, and social burden constructs.