Adaptation and psychometric evaluation of the rural thriving at life scale (RTAL) and its short form (SF-RTAL)

Thriving is context-sensitive, yet few validated instruments assess it among rural older adults, limiting research on their psychological growth and learning. This study therefore adapted and evaluated a Rural Version of the Thriving at Life Scale (RTAL) for rural older adults in China, developed a short form (SF-RTAL), and examined initial psychometric evidence for both versions. Between October and November 2025, 442 older adults from rural areas in China were recruited from Chongqing Municipality and Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to clarify the scale’s structure. Items were screened using item-total correlations, critical ratios, and coefficients of variation to form the SF-RTAL. Construct validity, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and internal consistency reliability were evaluated. The RTAL showed acceptable CFA model fit (CFI = 0.968, TLI = 0.961, RMSEA = 0.079) and high internal consistency (total-scale Cronbach’s α = 0.970; dimension-specific α = 0.894–0.971), although discriminant validity for one dimension pair was not fully supported. The four-item SF-RTAL showed item-total correlations of 0.774–0.919 ( P < 0.01), significant critical ratios, coefficients of variation of 0.45–0.49, and a Cronbach’s α of 0.867, with CFA indicating CFI = 0.997 and TLI = 0.991. These findings provide initial internal psychometric evidence, pending external validation in an independent sample. The RTAL showed acceptable model fit and internal consistency in this sample, and the SF-RTAL showed promising initial psychometric evidence. Both require further validation in independent samples. The SF-RTAL may serve as a brief measure for research and large-scale surveys, but its factor structure, reliability, validity, and practical utility should be confirmed before widespread use.