Development of an 18-item abbreviated Chinese version of Berger's HIV Stigma Scale

Aim: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) stigma in people living with HIV is associated with depression and poor treatment adherence. The current literature lacks a Chinese instrument to measure HIV stigma in Taiwan. Thus, the purpose of this study was to develop an abbreviated Chinese translation version of Berger's HIV Stigma Scale.

Methods: The instrument development process was guided by Brislin's Translation Model of establishment of construct validity and convergent validity and verification of reliability.

Results: This study recruited 540 HIV-infected adults (January-November 2015). Data analysis using confirmatory factor analysis resulted in an 18-item abbreviated Chinese version of Berger's HIV Stigma Scale, consisting with four factors: personalized stigma (seven items), disclosure concerns (three items), negative self-image (four items), and concerns with public attitudes toward people with HIV (four items). The final model demonstrated a good fit. A positive correlation between HIV stigma and depression was found. The Cronbach α for internal consistency was 0.92.

Conclusion: The 18-item abbreviated Chinese version of Berger's HIV Stigma Scale demonstrated adequate reliability and validity to assess HIV stigma among Chinese people living with HIV. It is a feasible tool that allows for rapid assessment of HIV-related stigma.