Psychometric Properties of the 15-item Fatalism Scale in a Chinese Older Adult Sample: A Cross-validation Study

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the factor structure and reliability of the revised 15-item Fatalism Scale. A convenience sample of Chinese older adults (n = 260) was recruited from three elderly community centers in Hong Kong between May and June 2013. Data from 252 participants who completed all 15 items of the scale were used in the current analysis. We examined the scale's factorial structure by confirmatory factor analysis, reliability by Cronbach's alpha, and construct validity by correlation with cancer fear. Both a three-factor model at the first level and a one-factor model at the second level provided excellent fits to the data. A high Cronbach's alpha value of the scale (0.945) and a significant positive correlation between fatalism and cancer fear (r = 0.262; p < 0.001) were observed. We conclude that the revised Fatalism Scale is a valid and reliable instrument to assess fatalism of Chinese older adults.