The Persian short form Aging Perceptions Questionnaire (APQ-P): A validation study

Background Population aging is an important phenomenon for many countries worldwide. Considering the growing trend of aging population in Iran, it is very important to consider beliefs and perceptions of old people about aging. The Aging Perception Questionnaire (APQ) is one of the most common instruments that used to measure aging comprehension. The present study was a methodological inquiry that aimed to examine validity and reliability of the Persian version of the Aging Perception Questionnaire (APQ). Methods Forward-backward procedure was used for translation. Content validity and face validity were evaluated qualitatively. In order to evaluate construct validity a cross section study was conducted and both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed. In order to determine reliability, internal consistency (the Cronbach's alpha) and stability (Intraclass Correlation Coefficient -ICC) were estimated. Results A total of 500 elderly people attending the community centers in Tehran, Iran were entered in other study and completed the Persian version of the questionnaire. Most elderly were female (52.8%).The mean age of participants was 68.33 (SD +/- 6.10) years. The results obtained from exploratory factor analysis showed a four-factors solution (consequences negative, emotional representation, control positive and consequences positive) that jointly explained 52.8% of the total variance observed. In addition the confirmatory factory analysis showed a good fit for the data. Finally, the Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.83 ranging from 0.80 to 0.87 was obtained for the whole scale and the subscales. The ICC value of 0.96 ranging from 0.90 to 0.98 was found for the whole scale and the subscales. Conclusion The results indicated that the Persian version of APQ is valid and can be used to measure aging perception in Iran.