Reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the spouse response inventory in individuals with chronic pain

Chronic pain is a significant global health challenge. Spousal responses to pain behaviors substantially influence patients’ pain perception and psychological adjustment. Therefore, the Spouse Response Inventory (SRI) was developed based on the operant behavioral framework to assess the spouse responses of individuals with chronic pain. To assess this construct in Chinese populations, we translated and culturally adapted the scale into Chinese. In our study, the SRI was translated and culturally adapted using Brislin’s model. A pilot test was first conducted, followed by a formal investigation from December 2025 to January 2026. A total of 517 chronic pain patients from a tertiary hospital in Henan, China, were recruited via convenience sampling. To evaluate the validity and reliability of the Chinese SRI, several statistical methods were employed: content validity was assessed using the Content Validity Index (CVI); construct validity was examined through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), with model fit evaluated using the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) and comparative fit index (CFI); convergent validity was assessed using composite reliability (CR) and average variance extracted (AVE); Cronbach’s α measured internal consistency; and item analysis was performed using the critical ratio (CR) method and item-total correlation. The Chinese SRI consists of 33 items across four subscales. The item-level CVI ranged from 0.875 to 1, and the scale-level CVI was 0.97. CFA showed standardized factor loadings from 0.586 to 0.882 (all P < 0.001). CR ranged from 0.866 to 0.941, and AVE from 0.472 to 0.644. The four-factor model fit was acceptable (RMSEA = 0.064, CFI = 0.894). Item-total correlations ranged from 0.278 to 0.685. Cronbach’s α for the total scale was 0.934, and for subscales, 0.862–0.941. The Chinese SRI may be considered a suitable tool for assessing spousal responses in individuals with Chronic Pain in China.