Adaptation and psychometric evaluation of the revised social constraints scale for partners of adults with cancer.

BACKGROUND

Partners of adults with cancer often experience social constraints that limit their ability to express cancer-related thoughts, feelings, and concerns to their loved ones. However, no validated instrument is currently available in Simplified Chinese to assess partner-specific social constraints. This study aimed to culturally adapt and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Simplified Chinese version of the Social Constraints Scale for partners of adults with cancer (SC-SCS-P).

METHODS

The scale was developed using a two-phase approach. In the first phase, items from the existing Simplified Chinese Social Constraints Scale (SCS) were contextually adapted to reflect partners' experiences, with reference to the original scale developed by Lepore. In the second phase, the psychometric properties of the adapted scale were evaluated, including content validity by a Delphi study with five experts, factor structure, convergent validity, and reliability. A convenience sample of 415 partners of adults with cancer was recruited from four hospitals in Hunan and Jiangsu provinces between June and September 2024.

RESULTS

Exploratory factor analysis supported a three-factor structure, including alienation, health concern minimization, and emotional concealment. The SC-SCS-P demonstrated good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Higher levels of perceived social constraints were associated with greater fear of cancer recurrence and communication problems, and with lower psychological resilience, supporting the construct validity of the scale.

CONCLUSION

The 15-item SC-SCS-P is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing partner-specific social constraints among partners of adults with cancer in China. This scale fills an important measurement gap and provides a foundation for future research and the development of communication-focused interventions, with implications for clinical practice and policy.