Psychometric properties and demographic correlates of the Malay anxiety about ageing scale

Anxiety about aging is associated with adverse health and wellbeing outcomes, and increased ageism toward older people. Levels of anxiety about aging differ according to demographic variables such as age, gender, education and cultural background, and can be decreased through educational interventions. However, a lack of tools for measuring anxiety about aging in Eastern populations has limited research in non-Western populations. The aims of this study were therefore to translate and assess the psychometric properties of a Malay language version of the Anxiety about Aging Scale (AAS), and examine how scores differed according to participants’ age, gender, and level of education. The AAS was first translated into Malay using a forwards- and backwards- translation procedure, and then piloted with 18 Malaysian people. The final Malay language version of the AAS was then administered to 915 Malaysian participants (396 males, 519 female), aged from 18 to 60 years (M = 36.36 years). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that some modifications to the original four-factor structure of the AAS were required to optimize model fit. Younger adults and people with lower levels of education reported greater anxiety about aging, and female participants reported greater concerns about physical appearance compared to males. The findings suggest that the modified Malay version of the AAS provides a reliable and valid measure of anxiety about aging. The relationships between anxiety about aging and levels of education suggest that people with lower levels of education should be prioritized for educational interventions that increase knowledge about aging.