Translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and preliminary psychometric investigation of the Chinese version of the digital intervention barriers scale–7 (DIBS-7) among college students

PURPOSE: This study aimed to translate, cross-culturally adapt, and preliminarily examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Digital Intervention Barriers Scale-7 (DIBS-7) among college students. METHODS: Based on Brislin's model, the DIBS-7 was translated through forward translation and back translation, and its cross-cultural adaptation was completed through expert consultation and a pilot test. Psychometric testing was conducted on a sample of 449 Chinese college students. The reliability of the Chinese version of the DIBS-7 was evaluated in terms of internal consistency, split-half reliability, and test-retest reliability, while its validity was assessed in terms of content validity and structural validity. RESULTS: One common factor with a cumulative variance contribution rate of 58.433% was identified by exploratory factor analysis (EFA). According to confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), the single-factor model suited the data well. The split-half reliability coefficient was 0.909, the test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.825, and the internal consistency reliability as determined by Cronbach's α was 0.900. CONCLUSION: The Chinese version of the DIBS-7 showed acceptable preliminary psychometric properties among Chinese college students and may be used to assess perceived barriers to DMHI use. Further studies are needed to examine whether it can predict actual intervention engagement, adherence, satisfaction, sustained use, or dropout.