Validation of the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale in Peruvian old adults: a study based on SEM and IRT multidimensional models

Loneliness is a public health problem. Its assessment is important to identify older adults who experience greater loneliness and appropriate interventions can be carried out. The De Jong Gierveld Solitude Scale (DJGLS) is one of the most widely used, at least in the European context, to measure loneliness. Although the Spanish version of the DJGLS has shown reliability and validity in Spanish samples of older adults, there is no evidence of adequacy in the Latin American context. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the DJGLS in Peruvian older adults. Specifically, factorial validity, internal consistency and criterion-related validity were studied, based on a double analytical perspective: Classical Test Theory (SEM models) and Item Response Theory. The participants were 235 Peruvian older adults with ages ranging from 61 to 91 years old (Mean = 72.69, SD = 6.68) that assisted to Centers for the Elderly in the city of Trujillo, Peru. Together with the DJGLS, information from the three-item UCLA loneliness scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale, Brief Resilient Coping Scale and the Patient Health Questionnarie-2 was also gathered. The results support a one-dimensional structure of the DJGLS but with the presence of method effects associated to the negatively worded items. Additionally, the IRT multidimensional model applied also indicated the presence of a second dimension related to these negative items. Finally, other evidences of reliability and validity were adequate. In summary, the DJGLS may be considered a reliable and valid instrument to be used in the Peruvian (older adults) context.

Measurement of coronaphobia in older adults: Validation of the Spanish version of the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

The Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) is an instrument that measures the severity of anxiety due to COVID-19 or coronaphobia. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, older adults are the most vulnerable age group; therefore, the aim of the study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the CAS in this group.

MATERIALS AND METHOD

274 Peruvian older adults participated (Mage=67.86; SD=6.34, 64.6% women). In addition to the CAS, the 2-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2), and 2-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-2) were applied. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to assess the factor structure of the CAS and Item Response Theory was used to analyze item characteristics. A sequence of hierarchical variance models was used to evaluate the measurement invariance of the CAS according to age. To assess reliability, Cronbach's alpha coefficient (α) and the omega coefficient (ω) were used. The correlations between the CAS score and the scores of the PHQ-2 and GAD-2 scales were calculated with Pearson's correlation coefficient (r).

RESULTS

The results of the CFA indicated that the unidimensional model of the CAS fitted the data adequately and showed very good reliability (α and ω≥.83). Likewise, all items provided high information and adequate discrimination, which allowed for better detection of average and high levels of coronaphobia in the older adult population. However, the CAS did not show evidence of being strictly invariant between older adults aged 60-65 years and 66-86 years. The CAS showed significant correlations with anxiety (r=.72; [95%CI: .66, .87] p<.01) and depression (r=.53; [95%CI: .43, .76] p<.01).

CONCLUSION

The CAS in Spanish shows evidence of validity based on internal structure, convergent and divergent validity, as well as an adequate reliability estimate to assess coronaphobia in older adults. The CAS can be used to detect average and high levels of coronaphobia in the older adult population.

Autoeficacia y felicidad en estudiantes que aspiran a ingresar a la universidad

El estudio buscó determinar la relación entre la autoeficacia y la felicidad en estudiantes de academias preuniversitarias de Lima Metropolitana que aspiran a ingresar a la universidad. Participaron 303 estudiantes preuniversitarios, cuyas edades oscilaron entre los 16 a 23 años (M= 18.05; DE= 1.252), quienes resolvieron la Escala de Autoeficacia General y la Escala de Felicidad. Los resultados evidencian una correlación positiva, alta y estadísticamente significativa entre la autoeficacia y las dimensiones sentido positivo de la vida, satisfacción con la vida y alegría de vivir. A su vez, se halló una relación positiva, moderada y estadísticamente significativa entre la autoeficacia y la dimensión realización personal. Por otra parte, no se encontraron diferencias en la autoeficacia y felicidad considerando el sexo, área de la carrera elegida, tipo y ubicación del colegio de procedencia. Con base en los resultados, se resalta la importancia de desarrollar competencias emocionales en los estudiantes preuniversitarios. Palabras clave: Autoeficacia, felicidad, academias preuniversitarias, estudiantes.

Alcohol-impaired Walking in 16 Countries: A Theory-Based Investigation

Alcohol is a global risk factor for road trauma. Although drink driving has received most of the scholarly attention, there is growing evidence of the risks of alcohol-impaired walking. Alcohol-impaired pedestrians are over-represented in fatal crashes compared to non-impaired pedestrians. Additionally, empirical evidence shows that alcohol intoxication impairs road-crossing judgements. Besides some limited early research, much is unknown about the global prevalence and determinants of alcohol-impaired walking. Understanding alcohol-impaired walking will support health promotion initiatives and injury prevention. The present investigation has three aims: (1) compare the prevalence of alcohol-impaired walking across countries; (2) identify international groups of pedestrians based on psychosocial factors (i.e., Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and perceptions of risk); and (3) investigate how segments of pedestrians form their intention for alcohol-impaired walking using the extended TPB (i.e. subjective norm, attitudes, perceived control, and perceived risk). A cross-sectional design was applied. The target behaviour question was "have you been a pedestrian when your thinking or physical ability (balance/strength) is affected by alcohol?" to ensure comparability across countries. Cluster analysis based on the extended TPB was used to identify groups of countries. Finally, regressions were used to predict pedestrians' intentions per group. A total of 6,166 respondents (Age M(SD) = 29.4 (14.2); Males = 39.2%) completed the questionnaire, ranging from 12.6% from Russia to 2.2% from Finland. The proportion of participants who reported never engaging in alcohol-impaired walking in the last three months ranged from 30.1% (Spain) to 83.1% (Turkey). Four groups of countries were identified: group-1 (Czech Republic, Spain, and Australia), group-2 (Russia and Finland), group-3 (Japan), and group-4 (final ten countries including Colombia, China, and Romania). Pedestrian intentions to engage in alcohol- impaired walking are predicted by perceptions of risk and TPB-psychosocial factors in group-1 and group-4. Favourable TPB-beliefs and low perceived risk increased alcohol-impaired walking intentions. Conversely, subjective norms were not significant in group-2 and only perceived risk predicted intention in group-3. The willingness of pedestrians to walk when alcohol-impaired differs significantly across the countries in this study. Perceived risk was the only common predictor among the 16 countries.

[Burnout Syndrome in Schools Teachers From Latin American Countries]

En los últimos años se ha escuchado mucho sobre el síndrome de burnout conocido también como “síndrome de agotamiento profesional” SAP y cómo influye en nuestra satisfacción laboral, un porcentaje de trabajadores no se encuentra satisfecho con las actividades que realiza, ya que solo trabajan para subsistir o por necesidad.

[Design and validation of a scale to measure worry for contagion of the COVID-19 (PRE-COVID-19)]

Objective

The increase in COVID-19 cases is generating fear and concern in society, which generates an emotional response that influences the adoption of health-related behaviors. The objective of the study is to design and validate the Scale of Worry for Contagion of COVID-19 (PRE-COVID-19).

Method

The study had a descriptive cross-sectional design. The population were young people and adults who resided in the cities of Lima and Callao (Perú) during the declaration of the national health emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic, during the period from March 16 to 27, 2020, who were recruited through a non-probability sample. The PRE-COVID-19, the WHO-Five Well-Being Index, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-2 and a single item were applied to measure the general perception of health. The scales were shared using a Google form through social networks. An internal consistency reliability analysis and structural equation models were performed, specifically confirmatory factor analysis. The recommendations of the Declaration of Helsinki and the principles that guide the ethical practice of online studies were followed.

Results

Eight hundred and sixteen young people and adults from Lima and Callao (200 men and 616 women; mean age 28.40, SD 7.10) participated. The results show a one-dimensional model with satisfactory goodness-of-fit indices: χ2 (9) = 52.00; CFI = 0.99; RMSEA = 0.09 [0.07, 0.12]; WRMR = 0.85. The λ of the model were higher than 0.50 and the reliability had an excellent value (ω = 0.90). Likewise, the convergent and discriminant validity is evident between PRE-COVID-19 and measures of anxiety, well-being and self-reported health.

Conclusion

The results indicate that the PRE-COVID-19 is a valid and reliable instrument to measure concern about the spread of COVID-19 and the emotional impact on people.

Obsession with Covid-19 in Peruvian police and armed forces: Validation of the obsession with Covid-19 Scale in Spanish using SEM and IRT models

The study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Obsession with COVID-19 Scale (OCS) in 214 police and members of the armed forces (M_age = 29.33 years, SD = 11.28). The one-dimensionality and satisfactory reliability of OCS were confirmed with confirmatory factor analysis, Item Response Theory analysis, Cronbach's alpha, and McDonald's omega. The scale is useful for identifying individuals with low levels of persistent and disturbing thoughts about COVID-19. COVID-19 obsession was associated with COVID-19 fear, anxiety, and depression. The OCS is suitable for investigating the psychological impact of COVID-19 on members of the police and armed forces.

Assessment of Fear of COVID-19 in Older Adults: Validation of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale

There is no information in Peru on the prevalence of mental health problems associated with COVID-19 in older adults. In this sense, the aim of the study was to gather evidence on the factor structure, criterion-related validity, and reliability of the Spanish version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) in this population. The participants were 400 older adults (mean age = 68.04, SD = 6.41), who were administered the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, Revised Mental Health Inventory-5, Patient Health Questionnaire-2 items, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale 2 items. Structural equation models were estimated, specifically confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), bifactor CFA, and structural models with latent variables (SEM). Internal consistency was estimated with composite reliability indexes (CRI) and omega coefficients. A bifactor model with both a general factor underlying all items plus a specific factor underlying items 1, 2, 4, and 5 representing the emotional response to COVID better represents the factor structure of the scale. This structure had adequate fit and good reliability, and additionally fear of COVID had a large effect on mental health. In general, women had more fear than men, having more information on COVID was associated to more fear, while having family or friends affected by COVID did not related to fear of the virus. The Spanish version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale presents evidence of validity and reliability to assess fear of COVID-19 in the Peruvian older adult population.

Fear of Loneliness: Development and Validation of a Brief Scale

This research aims to develop and validate a Spanish version of The Brief Scale of Fear of Loneliness (BSFL). Participants were 1385 youth and adults, 347 from a pilot sample and 1032 from the final version, whose ages were in the range of 18 to 40 years. Two instruments, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale, in their Peruvian versions, were used to support the relationship with other variables. Results show that the BSFL should be interpreted as a one-dimensional measure, the same ones that were examined at the exploratory level and verified at the confirmatory moment (RMSEA < 0.08, CFI > 0.95), and its reliability is considered good (ω > 0.88). In addition, the quality of the item content was reviewed by six expert judges for relevance and validity, with Aiken’s V being greater than 0.70. It is concluded that the BSFL is a valid and precise short instrument that can be used in future research studies.

Thirty Years of Psicothema: A Bibliometric Analysis (1989-2018)

BACKGROUND

This study presents a bibliometric analysis of Psicothema as a commemoration for its 30 years of publishing (1989-2018).

METHODS

A year-, sex-, and publication language-based analysis of the journal's characteristics was carried out based on the sample of 2,396 publications. Based on that data, Lotka's law was assessed, Lawani and Subramanyam indices and cooperation networks were estimated, the Pratt index was calculated, the concentration of papers according to thematic areas and research methods was described, and citations and impact indicators were obtained according to the original articles indexed in Web of Science (1993-2018).

RESULTS

The results indicated greater participation by male authors, increased publication in English, compliance with Lotka's law, and a greater inter-institutional contribution in recent decades. There was a higher percentage of methodology/psychometrics-related work, and most of these publications used quantitative methods. The impact factor and the amount of citations reached its peak in 2018.

CONCLUSION

The characteristics of Psicothema, which is a model of scientific communication of psychology in the international context, are discussed in this study.

Measurement of the will to live in older adults: Transcultural adaptation, validity and reliability of the Will-to-Live Scale

OBJECTIVE

The Will-to-Live Scale (WTLS) is used to measure the will to live in older adults; however, there is no Spanish version. The objective of the study was to translate the WTLS into Spanish, assess its internal structure, reliability, and the correlates between WTLS and life satisfaction, resilience, and depression in older Peruvian adults.

METHOD

The participants were 235 Peruvian older adults (M=72.69, SD=6.68), evaluated between March to May 2019, selected through non-probability sampling. The WTLS, the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) were administered. Data analysis included reliability by internal consistency and structural equation models, specifically confirmatory factor analysis (AFC), to test the one-dimensional solution of the WTLS and the convergent validity of the WTLS at the latent level, by specifying a four-factor model (will to live, life satisfaction, resilience and depression).

RESULTS

Cronbach's alpha coefficient and the composite reliability index obtain values of .93 and .94, respectively. The one-dimensional structure of the WTLS was fitted to the data (χ²₍₅₎=10,067, P=.073, CFI=.999, RMSEA=.066, SRMR=.014) and showed positive associations with the SWLS (ρ=.82), and BRCS (ρ=.86), as well as negative associations with the PHQ-2 (ρ=-.66).

CONCLUSION

The WTLS in Spanish presents evidence of validity and reliability to measure the will to live in Peruvian older adults.

Publications on COVID-19 in High Impact Factor Journals: A Bibliometric Analysis

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has sickened more than six million people worldwide. This context has led to an abundance of publications quickly since the beginning of the outbreak. In a few months, thousands of scientific papers have appeared. This article aims to provide a bibliometric analysis of the publications on COVID-19 in five high-impact journals indexed to the Web of Science Core Collection's Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED) including The Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, Science, Nature, and JAMA-Journal of the American Medical Association. We found 169 documents associated with the search criteria. The findings indicate that China, the United States, and the United Kingdom are the most represented countries in these publications, The Lancet is the journal with the highest number of contributions with 66% of documents, and the University of Hong Kong leads the ranking of institutions. Future bibliometric and scientometric studies on COVID-19 should provide updated information to analyse other relevant indicators in this field.

Traducción al español y validación de una medida breve de ansiedad por la COVID-19 en estudiantes de ciencias de la salud

Introducción y objetivos

Material y método

Resultados

Conclusión

Validez e invarianza factorial de una medida breve de Satisfacción con la Vida Familiar

Se examinó la estructura factorial, la confiabilidad, la validez convergente y discriminante, y la invarianza factorial por sexo, de la Satisfaction with Family Life Scale (SWFLS). Los participantes fueron 804 estudiantes de primaria y secundaria de escuelas privadas de Lima, con un promedio de edad de 13.5 años (DE = 1.6). Los resultados confirman la estructura unidimensional de la escala (χ2 = 3.49, df = 5, p = 0.63; χ2/df = 0.69; GFI = 0.998; CFI = 1; NFI = 0.998; RMSEA = 0 [IC90% 0, 0.038] y SRMR = 0.007), la invarianza factorial por sexo y una consistencia interna adecuada (α = 0.84; ω = 0.84; H = 0.85). Se obtuvieron evidencias satisfactorias de validez convergente y discriminante de las SWFLS con medidas de funcionalidad familiar, bienestar subjetivo y depresión. En conclusión, la SWFLS presenta excelentes propiedades psicométricas para medir la satisfacción con la vida familiar en escolares limeños.

Translation and content validity of a brief scale of mindfulness for Peruvian adolescents

OBJECTIVE

To translate into Spanish and analyze the evidence of validity based on the content of the items in the brief version of the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale of 5 items (MAAS-5).

METHOD

An instrumental study that involved the translation to Spanish of the items of the short version of the MAAS-5 scale, using the back-translation procedure. We analyzed the evidence of validity based on the test content, with the participation of a total of 14 expert judges. The degree of clarity, coherence and relevance of the items was quantified using the Aiken V coefficient and their 95% confidence intervals using an ad hoc template developed in the MS Excel program.

RESULTS

The items of the MAAS-5 show favourable evaluations of their clarity, coherence and relevance, where all the values of V were statistically significant and greater than 0.70. On the other hand, the lower limit of 95% confidence intervals of all the items satisfies the criterion at population level (Li˃0.59).

CONCLUSION

The empirical evidence of validity based on the test content of the MAAS-5 reports that all are sufficiently relevant, coherent and clear to adequately represent the construct mindfulness, both at sample and population level. This suggests that the MAAS-5 can be a brief and useful measure to assess mindfulness. On the other hand we suggest carrying out further studies that analyze other sources of evidence of validity of the MAAS-5.

Psychometric Evidence of the Diener’s Satisfaction with Life Scale in Peruvian Elderly

Introducción: En los últimos años, la satisfacción con la vida ha despertado el interés de la investigación gerontológica, siendo uno de los conceptos más utilizados para medir el bienestar subjetivo, además de constituir un indicador del envejecimiento exitoso. Materiales y métodos: se evaluaron las propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Satisfacción con la Vida en adultos mayores peruanos. Participaron 236 personas (78.40% mujeres; 21.60% hombres). La edad promedio fue de 72.8 años y su de = 6.90. Para obtener evidencia de validez convergente y discriminante se aplicaron la prueba de Ítem Único de Satisfacción con la Vida, la Brief Resilient Coping Scale y la Escala de Depresión Geriátrica. Resultados: se encuentra que la Escala de Satisfacción con la Vida muestra una estructura unidimensional (χ2 = 10.960, DF = 5, p = .05, χ2/DF = 2.192, GFI = .983, CFI = .994, NFI = .988; RMSEA = .071 [IC 90% .000, .129]; y SRMR = .013), se relaciona positivamente con la resiliencia y negativamente con la depresión. Además, presenta altos índices de consistencia interna (alfa = .93; IC 95 %: .90-.94; omega = .93; IC 95 %: .92-.95 y GLB =.94). Conclusión: cuando menos, para propósitos de investigación se recomienda el uso de la Escala de Satisfacción con la Vida en adultos mayores peruanos.

Evidencias psicométricas iniciales de una medida breve sobre preocupación por el cáncer

Objetivo: La preocupación por el cáncer está asociada con los comportamientos preventivos para la detección de esta enfermedad; sin embargo, no existe un instrumento con evidencias de validez y confiabilidad para medir este constructo en países latinoamericanos, entre ellos el Perú. Los objetivos de este estudio fueron evaluar la validez basada en la estructura interna y fiabilidad de la Cancer Worry Scale (CWS) en una muestra de personas sin diagnóstico oncológico con historia familiar de cáncer. Método: Se contó con la participación de 215 personas sanas con historia familiar de cáncer que acudían al servicio de consulta externa de dos instituciones públicas y privadas de salud de la ciudad de Chimbote con una edad promedio de 42,10 años (DT = 14,05). Para el recojo de información se utilizó una ficha sociodemográfica ad hoc y la Cancer Worry Scale. Resultados: El modelo unidimensional presentó un buen ajuste de los datos (SBχ2 (8) = 14,39; SB χ2 / df = 1,79; CFI = 0,991; SRMR = 0,025; RMSEA = 0,061 [IC90%: 0,000 -0,111]; AIC = 47,701) y una confiabilidad adecuada (ωcorregido = 0,90; IC95%: 0,88-0,92). Conclusión: Se concluye que la CWS presenta adecuadas propiedades psicométricas, siendo una medida que brinda interpretaciones válidas y fiables de la preocupación por el cáncer en el contexto peruano.

Evidencias psicométricas iniciales de la escala de autoeficacia para envejecer (EAEE) en adultos mayores peruanos

El estudio examina las evidencias psicométricas de la Escala de Autoeficacia para Envejecer (EAEE) en una muestra de 400 adultos mayores (75.2% mujeres y 24.8% hombres) de la ciudad de Trujillo (Perú) con una edad promedio de 73.37 años (DE = 7.86). Los participantes completaron la EAEE junto con medidas de satisfacción con la vida y depresión. El análisis factorial exploratorio (AFE), reveló que la EAEE presentaba una estructura factorial unidimensional. El análisis factorial confirmatorio (AFC), mostró que el modelo unidimensional tenía un ajuste aceptable (S-Bχ2 = 54.02, df = 345 p = .001; S-Bχ2/df = 1.54; CFI = .97; RMSEA = .052 [IC90% .021, .078]; y SRMR = .049; AIC= 118.96) y una confiabilidad adecuada (ω = .88 [IC95% .84 – .91]; α = .88 [IC95%: .84 - .91]). Los puntajes de la EAEE se correlacionaron de manera positiva con la satisfacción con la vida (r = .56, p< .01 [IC95%: .46, .79]) y negativa con la depresión (r = -.48, p< .01 [IC95%: -.37, -.73]). Los resultados sugieren que la EAEE presenta evidencias de validez basada en la estructura interna, convergente y discriminante, así como una adecuada confiabilidad.

[Natural disasters and their impact on mental health. Discussion in the Peruvian context]

[No disponible]

Influencia de la dinámica familiar percibida en el proyecto de vida en escolares de una institución educativa de Lima

Resumen La investigación tuvo como objetivo analizar la influencia de la dinámica familiar percibida en la planeación del proyecto de vida en escolares de 4to año de secundaria de ambos sexos entre 14 a 18 años de una institución educativa del distrito de San Juan de Lurigancho, Lima. Se siguió metodología cualitativa, utilizando la técnica de la entrevista cualitativa que se aplicó a un total de 12 personas. Por otra parte, también se ejecutaron dos grupos focales integrados por siete participantes cada uno. La información recabada fue analizada empleando elementos de la teoría fundamentada y axiomas de conjuntos, empleándose como apoyo el software para el análisis cualitativo de datos Atlas.ti, v. 7.5. Los resultados evidencian que los participantes perciben que factores de la dinámica familiar como el ambiente familiar, la comunicación familiar y tipo de estructura familiar influyen en la construcción de su proyecto de vida.

Políticas públicas en salud basadas en la evidencia. Discusión en el contexto peruano

Los países latinoamericanos enfrentan una serie de problemáticas que frenan su desarrollo. Una de las más comunes se relaciona con el aspecto de la salud pública, que afecta a un número grande de personas en contextos donde aún se vivencian y observan muchas brechas e inequidades...