Translation and Validation of English Version of Screen Dependency Scale (SDS) Among Preschool Children

The Screen Dependency Scale (SDS) is a parent-report tool designed to assess screen media dependency in preschool children which was originally developed in Malay within the Malaysian community. This study aimed to translate and validate the English version of the Screen Dependency Scale (SDS) to enable broader participation, particularly in urban areas where English is widely used. Phase 1 involved forward and backward translation by 2 language experts. An addiction specialist reviewed the back-translated version against the original followed by Face Validity by 14 parents. Phase 2 consisted of a cross-sectional study involving 195 parents of children aged 4 to 6 years. Construct validity was tested using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). CFA showed all items had factor loadings of 0.50 or higher. Model fit indices (RMSEA = 0.08; CFI = 0.92) indicated a good fit. The English SDS demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .89). Thus, the English version is a valid and reliable tool for assessing screen dependency in Malaysian preschoolers.