Open AccessValidation of the Sense of Coherence Scale in an American Indian population.
Author(s) -
Judith Albino,
Allison Shapiro,
William G. Henderson,
Tamanna Tiwari,
Angela G. Brega,
Jacob Thomas,
Lucinda L. Bryant,
Patricia A. Braun,
David O. Quissell
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
psychological assessment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.96
H-Index - 140
eISSN - 1939-134X
pISSN - 1040-3590
DOI - 10.1037/pas0000193
Subject(s) - psychology , convergent validity , confirmatory factor analysis , clinical psychology , cronbach's alpha , population , construct validity , distress , psychometrics , structural equation modeling , medicine , environmental health , statistics , mathematics , internal consistency
This study examined the psychometric properties of the Sense of Coherence (SOC) scale in the context of an oral health-related clinical trial conducted in an American Indian population-specifically, people of the Navajo Nation. Data were derived from baseline evaluations of parents (or caregivers) of Navajo children aged 3-5 from 52 Head Start classes enrolled in a trial of an intervention to prevent early childhood caries (ECC). A 190-item Basic Research Factors Questionnaire, which included the SOC, was administered to 1,016 parents/caregivers. Assessment of internal reliability and convergent validity, and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine associations between parents' SOC and other potentially convergent measures. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine 1- and 3-factor solutions of the SOC scale. Higher SOC was significantly related to higher parental education and income, employment status, and higher scores for social support, internal Oral Health Locus of Control (OHLOC), self-efficacy, importance of oral health, oral health knowledge and behavior, and children's oral health quality of life. Higher SOC also was related to lower reported distress and lower external OHLOC. Cronbach's α was 0.84 for all SOC items, but lower for each of the 3 SOC subscales. Confirmatory factor analyses suggested a 3-factor solution was superior to a 1-factor solution. The SOC scale had good internal reliability and convergent validity in this American Indian population.