Translation and validation of the Chinese version of the Service User Technology Acceptability Questionnaire for adolescents with a chronic condition

Background Adolescents with chronic conditions encounter various challenges, including managing disease progression and subsequent related treatments, during their transition to adulthood. Studies have highlighted the benefits of integrating digital technologies into their health care delivery; however, a valid assessment tool that examines the acceptability of digital health for chronic conditions management, specifically for Chinese adolescent populations, remains unavailable. In this study, we translated the Service User Technology Acceptability Questionnaire (SUTAQ) into Chinese and evaluated its psychometric properties in Chinese adolescents with chronic conditions. Methods The SUTAQ was translated and back-translated into Chinese according to the Brislin’s translation model. We then culturally adapted and revised it to its Chinese version (C-SUTAQ) through expert consensus. A cross-sectional design was used to determine determined the validity by using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The reliability was assessed by the internal consistency (Cronbach’s α) and test–retest reliability analyses. Results A total of 277 adolescents with a chronic condition were recruited from nine hospitals across provinces in China. The C-SUTAQ comprised 22 items and 6 domains, accounting for 77.07% of the total variance. The Cronbach’s α indicated good reliability with 0.898 for overall C-SUTAQ comprising six domains ranging from 0.869 to 0.912. The test–retest reliability coefficients ranged from 0.801 to 0.885. Conclusions The C-SUTAQ demonstrated acceptable properties with good validity and reliability. The results showed the scale will be appropriate to assess the telehealth acceptability of Chinese adolescents with a chronic condition in healthcare. The results also provide a basis for developing a self-management intervention incorporating technology tailing to Chinese adolescents.