Validity and reliability of the Chinese Version of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 in healthy adult women

Objective: To test the validity and reliability of the Chinese version of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3( ASI-3) in healthy Chinese adult women. Methods: With authorized permission by the author,the ASI-3 was translated into Chinese and adapted. By convenience sampling method,the Chinese version of ASI-3 was administrated to 309 nonclinical women from Changsha City and its surrounding areas in Hunan Province,and 137 out of them were assessed with the Beck Anxiety Index( BAI) in order to analyze the criterion validity. Four weeks later,the ASI-3 was retested to 50 women to analyze the test-retest reliability. Results: Indices of confirmatory factor analysis met the standard of psychometrics and supported the hypothesis of three-factor model of original ASI-3( χ2/df = 2. 59,NFI = 0. 92,IFI = 0. 95,TLI = 0. 94,CFI = 0. 95,RM SEA = 0. 07). The correlation coefficients between BAI and the total ASI-3 and its subscales ranged from 0. 32 to 0. 42( Ps 0. 01). The Cronbach 's α coefficients were 0. 95 for the total scale and 0. 84- 0. 90 for the three subscales. The test-retest reliability coefficients were0. 86 for the total scale and 0. 76- 0. 82 for the subscales. The mean inter-item correlation coefficient was 0. 54 for the total scale,and ranged from 0. 47- 0. 61 for the three subscales. Conclusion: The Chinese version of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 has good validity and reliability,and could be applied as an effective tool to assess anxiety sensitivity in nonclinical Chinese women.