Dataset Information

Drop-the-p: Bayesian CFA of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support in Australia.

ABSTRACT:

Aim

We aimed to investigate whether the 12-item Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) constitutes a valid and reliable measure of social support for the general adult Australian population.

Methods

Data were from Australia's National Survey of Adult Oral Health 2004-2006 and included 3899 participants aged 18 years old and over. The psychometric properties were evaluated with Bayesian confirmatory factor analysis. One-, two-, and three-factor (Significant Other, Family and Friends) structures were tested. Model fit was assessed with the posterior predictive p-value (PPP_?2), Bayesian root mean square error of approximation (BRMSEA), and Bayesian comparative fit index (BCFI). Dimensionality was tested by comparing competing factorial structures with the Bayes factor (BF). Reliability was evaluated with the Bayesian ? _H . Convergent validity was investigated with the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and discriminant validity with the Perceived Dental Control scale (PDC-3).

Results

The theoretical three-factor model (Significant Other, Family, and Friends) provided a good fit to the data [PPP_?2 < 0.001, BRMSEA = 0.089-95% credible interval (CrI) (0.088, 0.089); BCFI = 0.963-95% CrI (0.963, 0.964)]. The BF provided decisive support for the three-factor structure in relation to the other structures. The SO [B? _H = 0.95 - 95% CrI (0.90, 0.99)], FA (B? _H = 0.92 - 95% CrI (0.87, 0.97), and FR (B? _H = 0.92 - 95% CrI (0.88, 0.97)] subscales displayed excellent reliability. The MSPSS displayed initial evidence of convergent and discriminant validity.

Conclusion

The MSPSS demonstrated good psychometric properties and excellent reliability in a large Australian sample. This instrument can be applied in national surveys and provide evidence of the role of social support in the Australian population.

SUBMITTER: Santiago PHR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7953044 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Drop-the-<i>p</i>: Bayesian CFA of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support in Australia.

Santiago Pedro Henrique Ribeiro PHR Quintero Adrian A Haag Dandara D Roberts Rachel R Smithers Lisa L Jamieson Lisa L

Frontiers in psychology 20210226

<h4>Aim</h4>We aimed to investigate whether the 12-item Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) constitutes a valid and reliable measure of social support for the general adult Australian population.<h4>Methods</h4>Data were from Australia's National Survey of Adult Oral Health 2004-2006 and included 3899 participants aged 18 years old and over. The psychometric properties were evaluated with Bayesian confirmatory factor analysis. One-, two-, and three-factor (Significant Othe ...[more]

PMID: 33716843

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Project description:Background: The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) is a short and reliable instrument that assesses perceived social support from the social network of an individual. A previous study in Pakistan among postpartum women has demonstrated a unidimensional factor structure in contrast to the original three-factor structure. The emergence of a one-factor structure for postpartum women in Pakistan may be due to traditional postpartum practices unique to the women of the subcontinent. Building upon the previous evidence, this study aims to explore the psychometric properties of MSPSS among pregnant women in their third trimester in rural Pakistan. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from October 2014 to February 2016, in rural Pakistan. A sample of 1,154 pregnant women (aged ≥ 18 years) in their third trimester who were registered with the local Lady Health Worker Program and were living in the north of the Punjab Province was included in this study. They were assessed using Urdu translated scales of Patient Health Questionnaire, MSPSS, Maternal Social Support Index, and Perceived Stress Scale. Principal Axis Factoring was used to assess the construct validity of the MSPSS. Results: The MSPSS scale showed an excellent internal consistency, yielding a Cronbach's α-value of 0.933. The MSPSS scale exhibited an excellent construct validity, and confirmatory factor analysis retained three factors (family, friends, and significant others) for both the depressed and non-depressed samples. Internal reliability and construct validity were also established. Conclusion: The psychometric findings suggest that the tridimensional structure of MSPSS is a valid and reliable measure of perceived social support among the Pakistani population with and without perinatal depression. The perceived social support is an important predictor of maternal mental well-being and psychopathologies, and the MSPSS can serve as a useful tool in mental health research in Pakistan.

Project description:BackgroundSocial support (SS) has been identified as an essential buffer to stressful life events. Consequently, there has been a surge in the evaluation of SS as a wellbeing indicator. The Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale (MSPSS) has evolved as one of the most extensively translated and validated social support outcome measures. Due to linguistic and cultural differences, there is need to test the psychometrics of the adapted versions. However, there is a paucity of systematic evidence of the psychometrics of adapted and translated versions of the MSPSS across settings.ObjectivesTo understand the psychometric properties of the MSPSS for non-English speaking populations by conducting a systematic review of studies that examine the psychometric properties of non-English versions of the MSPSS.MethodsWe searched Africa-Wide Information, CINAHL, Medline and PsycINFO, for articles published in English on the translation and or validation of the MSPSS. Methodological quality and quality of psychometric properties of the retrieved translations were assessed using the COSMIN checklist and a validated quality assessment criterion, respectively. The two assessments were combined to produce the best level of evidence per language/translation.ResultsSeventy articles evaluating the MSPSS in 22 languages were retrieved. Most translations [16/22] were not rigorously translated (only solitary backward-forward translations were performed, reconciliation was poorly described, or were not pretested). There was poor evidence for structural validity, as confirmatory factor analysis was performed in only nine studies. Internal consistency was reported in all studies. Most attained a Cronbach's alpha of at least 0.70 against a backdrop of fair methodological quality. There was poor evidence for construct validity.ConclusionThere is limited evidence supporting the psychometric robustness of the translated versions of the MSPSS, and given the variability, the individual psychometrics of a translation must be considered prior to use. Responsiveness, measurement error and cut-off values should also be assessed to increase the clinical utility and psychometric robustness of the translated versions of the MSPSS.Trial registrationPROSPERO - CRD42016052394.