Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Cognitive Reserve Assessment Scale in Health in patients with cancer

Background Cognitive reserve is a modifiable factor that could prevent cognitive decline in patients with cancer. The Cognitive Reserve Assessment Scale in Health (CRASH) is an instrument used to assess cognitive reserve. This study aims to develop and examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the CRASH for patients with cancer. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 167 cancer patients from four wards of two hospitals in China. Thirty-one patients were re-assessed to examine the test-retest reliability. Four translators and three reviewers developed the Chinese version of the scale. We assessed its structural validity, concurrent validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, measurement error, and floor/ceiling effects. Results Confirmatory factor analysis showed a good model fit with the four-factor structure of the original CRASH. The CRASH scores were statistically significantly associated with neuropsychological test scores, indicating sufficient concurrent validity. The internal consistency was acceptable, except for leisure activities, with standardized Cronbach’s alphas (0.64–0.94) and standardized Omega (0.66–0.95). There was excellent test-retest reliability, with a high intraclass correlation coefficient (0.914–0.993) of total scores and scores for each domain. The measurement error was acceptable, and no floor or ceiling effects were observed . Conclusions The Chinese version of the CRASH is a valid and reliable instrument to assess cognitive reserve in patients with cancer. Moreover, cognitive reserve measured by the CRASH was associated with low cognitive performance in cancer patients.