Validation of the Chinese version of the Zarit Burden Interview

Abstract

Objective: To validate the Chinese version of the Zarit Burden Interview as an instrument for assessing the stress experienced by carers of elderly patients with dementia. Patients and Methods: The Zarit Burden Interview was first translated into Chinese and then back-translated into English for comparison. Forty Chinese patients with mild to moderate dementia were recruited from 2 psychiatric clinics in Hong Kong. The Zarit Burden Interview, General Health Questionnaire, and Caregiver Activity Survey were completed by the patients' carers. Two raters rated another 16 carers separately for assessment of inter-rater reliability. Results: The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.99 and the split half correlation coefficient was 0.81, suggesting a high inter-rater reliability and internal consistency. The correlation between the Zarit Burden Interview and the General Health Questionnaire was 0.59 (p < 0.001), and the correlation between the Zarit Burden Interview and the Caregiver Activity Survey was 0.57 (p < 0.001), suggesting high conceptual validity. Conclusion: The Chinese version of the Zarit Burden Interview is a valid and reliable tool to evaluate the stress experienced by carers of elderly people with dementia in Hong Kong. © 2005 Hong Kong College of Psychiatrists.