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A Cross-National Analysis of the Psychometric Properties of the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory.


ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Assessing late-life anxiety using an instrument with sound psychometric properties including cross-cultural invariance is essential for cross-national aging research and clinical assessment. To date, no cross-national research studies have examined the psychometric properties of the frequently used Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) in depth.

Method

Using data from 3,731 older adults from 10 national samples (Australia, Brazil, Canada, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Singapore, Thailand, and United States), this study used bifactor modeling to analyze the dimensionality of the GAI. We evaluated the "fitness" of individual items based on the explained common variance for each item across all nations. In addition, a multigroup confirmatory factor analysis was applied, testing for measurement invariance across the samples.

Results

Across samples, the presence of a strong G factor provides support that a general factor is of primary importance, rather than subfactors. That is, the data support a primarily unidimensional representation of the GAI, still acknowledging the presence of multidimensional factors. A GAI score in one of the countries would be directly comparable to a GAI score in any of the other countries tested, perhaps with the exception of Singapore.

Discussion

Although several items demonstrated relatively weak common variance with the general factor, the unidimensional structure remained strong even with these items retained. Thus, it is recommended that the GAI be administered using all items.

SUBMITTER: Molde H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7424278 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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A Cross-National Analysis of the Psychometric Properties of the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory.

Molde Helge H   Nordhus Inger Hilde IH   Torsheim Torbjørn T   Engedal Knut K   Bendixen Anette Bakkane AB   Byrne Gerard J GJ   Márquez-González María M   Losada Andres A   Feng Lei L   Ow Elisabeth Kuan Tai EKT   Pisitsungkagarn Kullaya K   Taephant Nattasuda N   Jarukasemthawee Somboon S   Champagne Alexandra A   Landreville Philippe P   Gosselin Patrick P   Ribeiro Oscar O   Diefenbach Gretchen J GJ   Blank Karen K   Beaudreau Sherry A SA   Laks Jerson J   de Araújo Narahyana Bom NB   Fonseca Rochele Paz RP   Kochhann Renata R   Camozzato Analuiza A   van den Brink Rob H S RHS   Fluiter Mario M   Naarding Paul P   Pelzers Loeki P R M LPRM   Lugtenburg Astrid A   Oude Voshaar Richard C RC   Pachana Nancy A NA  

The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences 20200801 7


<h4>Objectives</h4>Assessing late-life anxiety using an instrument with sound psychometric properties including cross-cultural invariance is essential for cross-national aging research and clinical assessment. To date, no cross-national research studies have examined the psychometric properties of the frequently used Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI) in depth.<h4>Method</h4>Using data from 3,731 older adults from 10 national samples (Australia, Brazil, Canada, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal,  ...[more]

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