The development of a Chinese version of the tobacco use subscale of the behavioral risk factor surveillance system (BRFSS).
OBJECTIVE
To provide a culturally and linguistically specific survey instrument for tobacco consumption in Taiwan, we evaluated the reliability and validity of a Chinese translation of the 1993 US Tobacco Use Subscale of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (TU-BRFSS).


METHODS
An integrative translation was followed by a pilot study of 100 randomly selected adults from throughout Taiwan. Telephone interviews took place in July, 2004. Validity was assessed by Content Validity Index (CVI) computed on the basis of expert review and the averaged scores of back-translation.


RESULTS
Of 29 questions, 25 met the CVI criteria for retention in the instrument. In the back-translation assessment, 85% of the average scores taken from the expert evaluations were above 4 (scale of 1-5). Three of four percent agreements between the referent question and 4 other questions were 100%.


CONCLUSIONS
The Chinese version of the TU-BRFSS, with appropriate content, semantics, and conceptual equivalence, appears valid and reliable for future surveillance and research in Taiwan and other Chinese populations.
Chen
Yi-Hua
YH
School of Public Health, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, No. 250, Wu-hsing Street, Taipei (110), Taiwan. yichen@tmu.edu.tw
Chiou
Hung-Yi
HY
Chen
Ping-Ling
PL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology