Objective: The prevalence of dementia is expected to increase in Chinese society in the next 40 years. Family members remain the primary caregivers and bear a heavy burden. The present study aims to examine the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Zarit Burden Interview (CZBI).
Method: One hundred eighty-one patient-caregiver dyads were recruited. Caregivers completed the measures of the CZBI, Caregiver Activity Survey (CAS) and 12-item Chinese Health Questionnaire (CHQ-12). Mini-Mental State Examination and Clinical Dementia Rating Scale were used to assess the patients' condition.
Results: Overall reliability of CZBI was good, with the internal consistency and test-retest reliability being high. The CZBI was highly correlated with the scores of the CAS and CHQ-12, which provides evidence of concurrent validity. Factor analysis found five factors, which accounted for 60% of variance.
Conclusion: The CZBI is feasible for measuring feelings of burden of caregivers for Taiwanese patients with dementia.