Abstract:

Objective To translate the Peer Mentor Support Scale （PMSS） into Chinese and examine its reliability and validity for primary caregivers of children with type 1 diabetes mellitus （T1DM） in China. Methods With formal permission granted by the original scale author，the Chinese version of the PMSS was developed following the Brislin translation framework，including forward translation，back-translation，cultural adaptation，and pre-experiment pilot testing. From September 2025 to January 2026，a convenience sample of 455 primary caregivers of children with T1DM was recruited from a tertiary children’s hospital in Zhejiang Province. Psychometric properties of the Chinese PMSS were evaluated，and a split-half cross-validation was performed to examine the stability of the unidimensional structure. Results All original 17 items and unidimensional structure were preserved in the Chinese PMSS. Item critical ratios varied ranged from 15.788 to 24.287，and the correlation coefficients between each item score and the total scale score ranged from 0.722 to 0.819（all P<0.001）. Confirmatory factor analysis showed an acceptable fit for the unidimensional model：χ²/df=4.109，RMSEA=0.083，CFI=0.932，TLI=0.922，and SRMR=0.041. The standardized factor loadings ranged from 0.692 to 0.809. The composite reliability and average variance extracted were 0.957 and 0.567，respectively. The overall Cronbach’s α coefficient was 0.957，and the split-half reliability was 0.967. Split-half cross-validation showed that the unidimensional model had a generally acceptable fit in both subsamples，with standardized factor loadings ranging from 0.654 to 0.821 and from 0.695 to 0.829，respectively. Conclusion The Chinese version of the PMSS demonstrates sound reliability and validity and is suitable for measuring perceived peer mentor support among primary caregivers of children with T1DM in China.

Key words: Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Primary Caregivers, Peer Support, Scale, Reliability, Validity