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Objective: Health literacy is an important predictor of health outcomes. The Health Literacy Questionnaire has been widely adopted to measure health literacy and has been translated into multiple languages including Chinese. This study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the simplified Chinese Health Literacy Questionnaire. Methods: Data were obtained from a sample of 362 Chinese immigrants from Chinese community organizations in New South Wales, Australia. Statistical analyses include descriptive and exploratory factor analyses. Results: A seven‐factor solution was derived from 39 of the original 44 items, all with acceptable to excellent internal consistency but differing from the original construction. The health literacy subscale scores were negatively associated with age and with age at immigration, but positively associated with duration of stay (years) in Australia, better English proficiency and current employment. Differing interpretations of the questions based on Chinese culture could possibly explain the variations between the two versions. Conclusion: The simplified Chinese Health Literacy Questionnaire measures some central concepts of health literacy well. However, the questionnaire may require further development, especially in linguistic and cultural aspects. SUMMARY STATEMENT: What is already known about this topic? The Health Literacy Questionnaire has been translated and validated in multiple languages with good reliability and validity. What this paper adds? The study addresses issues that may be related to cultural adaptation and language interpretation of the simplified Chinese version of the Health Literacy Questionnaire. The implications of this paper: It is important for researchers and clinicians to evaluate the cultural sensitivity of translated questionnaires within the specific context before application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wilson A, Gyi AA. International Journal of Nursing Practice 2010; 16: 92–98 The status and perspective of diabetes health education in China: Inspiration from Australia This paper discusses possible approaches to improving diabetes care and developing effective education models in China based on the experience of diabetes education in Australia. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus in China is increasing rapidly. China is currently second on the list of the top 10 countries with the highest diabetes burden. Enormous impact of diabetes on China health system is daunting and the urgent action is needed. Diabetes education is the keystone of diabetes care and structured self-management education is considered to be the key to successful outcomes. Although many diabetes education programmes have been initiated in China, barriers have been identified for implementation of the programmes. These include: lack of public awareness of diabetes; lack of standards of practice for diabetes educators; and lack of evaluation programmes to assess their performance. We suggest four possible approaches to addressing the current problems of diabetes education in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Title. Chinese Breast Cancer Screening Beliefs Questionnaire: development andpsychometric testing with Chinese-Australian women. Aim. This paper is a report of the development and psychometric testing of the Chinese Breast Cancer Screening Beliefs Questionnaire, a culturally sensitive questionnaire for measuring Chinese-Australian women’s beliefs, knowledge and attitudes towards breast cancer and breast screening practices. Background. Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer morbidity among Chinese-Australian women. They are, however, 50% less likely to participate in all types of breast examination. A valid and reliable instrument to explore the breast cancer beliefs is essential for the development of interventions to promote breast cancer screening practices. Method. Items for the questionnaire were drawn from a literature review and in-depth interviews. A panel of professional experts and lay women evaluated face and content validity. The instrument was translated from English to Chinese using back-translation. In 2008, a total of 292 Chinese-Australian women aged 22–78 years who were resident of Australia were included in testing the instrument. Multi-trait analysis and Cronbach’s alpha were used to assess internal consistency reliability and exploratory factor analysis assessed construct validity. Results. The final 13-item questionnaire had satisfactory validity and internal consistency. Cronbach’s alpha for the total scale was 0·76, and for the three subscales ranged from 0·70 to 0·79. Exploratory factor analysis showed that the scale reduced to three factors. Conclusion. Preliminary data suggest that the Chinese Breast Cancer Screening Beliefs Questionnaire is a valid, reliable and culturally sensitive instrument for the measurement of Chinese-Australian women’s beliefs, knowledge and attitudes about breast cancer and breast cancer screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]