Validation of the Malay Version of the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale.

Objective: This study aims to determine the psychometric properties of the Bahasa Malaysia (BM) version of the 6-item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (DJGLS) among older adults in Malaysia.

Methods: A total of 200 participants aged 50 years and older completed the questionnaire in which 81 participants completed in BM. A subsample of 30 participants was retested after a period of 2 weeks.

Results: The DJGLS showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha 0.71) and high test-retest reliability (r = 0.93). Convergent validity was demonstrated by moderate positive correlation between total DJGLS loneliness score and UCLA loneliness scale (ULS-8) (r = 0.56, n = 81, P < 0.001). Significant associations were found between loneliness and sex, ethnicity, geographic area and marital status.

Conclusion: The BM version of the 6-item DJGLS is a reliable and valid loneliness measure for use among older adults in Malaysia.