Developing the Chinese Version of the Sheffield Care Environment Assessment Matrix (C-SCEAM): Translation, Adaptation and Validation

Objective This article aims to (1) translate the Sheffield Care Environment Assessment Matrix (SCEAM) into Chinese and adapt a Chinese version of SCEAM (C-SCEAM), and (2) evaluate the validity and reliability of C-SCEAM. Background While the number of elderly care facilities in China is increasing significantly, the country still lacks instruments for assessing their physical environment. Compared with the widely used instruments in other countries, current standards and assessment methods in China could show significant shortcomings in reflecting the needs of users. Methods This study employed a mixed-methods approach, organized into three phases and six stages. The process included a forward-and-back translation of the instrument, followed by a questionnaire survey, semi-structured interviews and a field survey in three care homes. The psychometric properties of the C-SCEAM included content validity and reliability. The content validity was tested using questionnaires and interviews, while the field survey examined its inter-rater and test–retest reliability. Results The acceptable content validity was achieved as: relevancy average S-CVI = .902 (> .90), essentiality average CVR = .48 (> .407), clarity ratings ranged from 2.35 to 3.00, and average suitability scores exceeded 4.0 across all checklists. The results demonstrated acceptable reliability: inter-rater Kα = .86-.95, levels of agreement = 90.6% to 97.2%; test-retest Kα = .84-.92, levels of agreement = 89.5% to 95.3%. Conclusions Clear cultural differences were identified during the adaptation process. After the modification process, the psychometric properties of C-SCEAM were acceptable. However, further research is needed to assess the instrument's usability across a wider range of contexts within China.