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Development and psychometric testing of the register – connectedness scale for older adults
Author(s) -
Register M. Elizabeth,
Herman JoAnne,
Tavakoli Abbas S.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
research in nursing and health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1098-240X
pISSN - 0160-6891
DOI - 10.1002/nur.20415
Subject(s) - social connectedness , scale (ratio) , gerontology , psychology , reliability (semiconductor) , psychometrics , test (biology) , clinical psychology , medicine , social psychology , power (physics) , paleontology , physics , quantum mechanics , biology
Connectedness, maintaining active engagement with life, is crucial to successful aging. Yet, no instruments were found to measure connectedness. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a connectedness scale for older adults. A 72‐item instrument was administered to 428 community‐dwelling older adults. The sample was largely female, White widows/widowers, with a mean age of 76 ( SD 6.95) years. The instrument was reduced to 45 items representing five factors with loadings ranging from .40 to .86. The factor labels and their reliability estimates were: (a) self‐regulating (.86), (b) facing aging (.85), (c) being part of a family (.87), (d) having friends (.87), and (e) being spiritual (.88). This promising instrument may advance the science of successful aging. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 34:60–72, 2011