Translation and Validation of the Chinese Version of Moral Courage Scale for Physicians

TL;DR

This study translated and validated a scale to measure moral courage among Chinese physicians, confirming its reliability and relevance for medical professionalism.

Contribution

The study provides a validated Chinese version of the Moral Courage Scale for Physicians with strong psychometric properties.

Findings

The Chinese MCSP showed high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.935) and a single-factor structure.

Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed good model fit (χ2/df = 3.167, GFI = 0.958, RMSEA = 0.071, CFI = 0.978, TLI = 0.971).

Chinese physicians reported high moral courage levels, aligning with international findings.

Abstract

Moral courage is increasingly recognized as crucial for medical professionalism. This study aimed to translate and validate the Moral Courage Scale for Physicians into Chinese, evaluate its psychometric properties, and explore its applicability within the Chinese medical context.

A cross-sectional study involving 425 licensed physicians across Mainland China was conducted between February and April 2025. Participants completed an online survey including demographic information and the Chinese version of MCSP. Data were analyzed using EFA, CFA, and Cronbach’s alpha.

The Chinese MCSP demonstrated strong psychometric properties, including high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.935) and a clear single-factor structure explaining 65.94% of the variance. CFA supported good model fit (χ2/df = 3.167, GFI = 0.958, RMSEA = 0.071, CFI = 0.978, TLI = 0.971). Physicians in China reported high levels of self-assessed moral courage, consistent with previous international studies.

The validated Chinese MCSP is reliable and valid for assessing moral courage among Chinese physicians. It provides a robust tool for future research, medical education, and ethical training programs to enhance physician professionalism and patient care quality in China.

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