Transcultural adaptation and validation in French of the BBC subjective well-being scale (BBC-SWB) in the general population

Abstract Subjective well-being influences longevity and health maintenance. No specific scale exists in French to measure the physical, psychological, and social dimensions of subjective well-being simultaneously. The BBC Subjective Well-Being Scale (BBC-SWB) is a reliable and valid measure of subjective well-being in the general population. The aim of this study was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the BBC-SWB into a French version and to evaluate its psychometric properties, validity, and reliability in the general adult population in France. After providing their informed consent, a sample of 1419 participants, were asked to complete a sociodemographic questionnaire and respond to a battery of online self-report measures probing subjective well-being, subjective happiness, mental health, quality of life, anxiety, and depression. The process of intercultural adaptation showed a semantic, idiomatic, cultural, and conceptual equivalence between the original version and the French version. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to extract and confirm a three-factor structural model in the sample. A 24-item version showed acceptable psychometric properties and measured the three dimensions of well-being. Spearman correlations were performed demonstrating significant concurrent validity. Internal consistency and intraclass and inter-rater correlation coefficients showed excellent reliability. This scale renamed “EBES” for Évaluation du Bien-Être Subjectif, represents a valid, reliable, and recommended instrument for research and clinical intervention purposes. Further study of its practical application to other populations and health conditions is warranted.