Abstract

Background: One's attitude toward aging (ATA) is not only associated with one's current health but also influential in future functioning and health. Individuals with a negative ATA tend not to participate in health promotion or interventions, leading to poor health outcomes and failed health promotion efforts. To further study and understand this issue, a psychometrically sound assessment tool is a prerequisite. The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Taiwan Attitude toward Aging Questionnaire-Short Form (TAAQ-SF).

Methods: This cross-sectional study was a secondary analysis using data collected in the Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging (TLSA) conducted in 2011. The data of 3054 participants without missing data on the TAAQ-SF and with normal cognitive function were used in this study. The construct validity, internal consistency, and criterion-related validity of the TAAQ-SF were assessed.

Results: Factor analysis revealed two factors, namely, negative and positive self-perceived aging (NSPS, PSPA), which explained 24.7% and 23.8% of the variance, respectively. The internal consistency was 0.81 for the total score (0.75 for negative and positive subscales). The TAAQ-SF total score and two subscale scores were significantly associated with health criteria. People with higher PSPA showed better physical and psychological health, better self-efficacy in self-management of disease control.

Conclusions: Our results indicate that the TAAQ-SF is a psychometrically sound tool for assessing ATA in middle- to old-aged community-dwelling Taiwanese adults.