Psychometric testing of the Chinese version of the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS-C)

The purpose of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS-C) in a sample of 110 Patients. Criterion-related and construct validities of the MOS-SSS-C were evaluated by correlations with the Chinese version of the Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Survey (r=.82) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (r=-.58). Confirmatory factor analysis affirmed the four-factor structure of the MOS-SSS-C in measuring the functional aspects of perceived social support. Cronbach's alphas for the subscales ranged from .93 to.96, whereas the alpha for the overall scale was .98. The 2-week test-retest reliability of the MOS-SSS-C as measured by the intraclass correlation coefficient was .84. The MOS-SSS-C is a psychometrically sound multidimensional measure for the evaluation of functional aspects of perceived social support by Chinese patients with chronic disease. (C) 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.