Open AccessA Psychometric Analysis of the 20-item Revised University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale Among Korean Older Adults Living Alone
Author(s) -
Chiyoung Lee,
Belong Cho,
Qing Yang,
Sun Ju Chang,
So Im Ryu,
Eun-Young Noh,
Yeon Hwan Park
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
research in gerontological nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.544
H-Index - 25
eISSN - 1940-4921
pISSN - 1938-2464
DOI - 10.3928/19404921-20210924-03
Subject(s) - loneliness , confirmatory factor analysis , cronbach's alpha , exploratory factor analysis , psychology , ucla loneliness scale , clinical psychology , gerontology , scale (ratio) , reliability (semiconductor) , psychometrics , population , validity , structural equation modeling , medicine , psychiatry , environmental health , power (physics) , statistics , physics , mathematics , quantum mechanics
The current study aimed to explore the factor structure of the Korean version of the Revised University of California Los Angeles loneliness scale for the Korean older adult population. Analyses were based on a cross-sectional cohort of 1,041 community-dwelling older adults (age ≥65 years) living alone in one Korean city. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted to determine the underlying structure of the scale, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to ascertain the validity of the outcomes. For reliability, Cronbach's alpha was computed. Based on EFA and CFA results, a two-factor structure was found. The first factor reflected "intimate loneliness" and the second "relational loneliness." Derived factors demonstrated satisfactory reliability (>0.8). The two factors of loneliness identified in this study could be considered when attempting to treat loneliness among older adults. Nevertheless, future studies should confirm the findings of this study and evaluate aspects of validity beyond factorial validity to further support the conceptual separation of the two identified factors. [ Research in Gerontological Nursing, 14 (6), 305-316.].