Psychometric properties of the University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale version 3: the European Portuguese version

• Ananda Zeas-Sigüenza ^[1] ; Sara Oliveira ^[2] ; Cláudia Ferreira ^[2] ; Ana Ganho-Ávila ^[2] ; Paula Vagos ; Pablo Ruisoto Palomera
  1. [1] Universidad de Navarra

     Universidad de Navarra

     Pamplona, España

     
  2. [2] Universidade de Coimbra

     Universidade de Coimbra

     Coimbra (Sé Nova), Portugal

     
• Localización: Ansiedad y estrés, ISSN 1134-7937, Vol. 29, Nº 1, 2023, págs. 18-26
• Idioma: inglés
• DOI: 10.5093/anyes2023a3
• Títulos paralelos:
  • Propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Soledad de los Ángeles versión 3: la versión portuguesa europea
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo (pdf)
• Resumen
  • español

    Actualmente, la medida estándar mayormente utilizada para evaluar la soledad es la versión 3 de la escala de Soledad de la Universidad de California de Los Angeles (UCLA v3).

    Objetivo: Analizar las propiedades psicométricas de la UCLA v3 para la población portuguesa europea.

    Método: Una muestra total de 282 personas fue encuestada en línea en Portugal.

    Resultados: El análisis factorial confirmatorio (AFC) respaldó un modelo que representa una solución global de soledad con dos factores relativos al contenido positivo y negativo de los ítems, logrando un ajuste óptimo. El AFC multigrupo indicó invariancia métrica y escalar según género. Los puntajes de la prueba de soledad (puntaje global; ítems positivos e ítems negativos) correlacionaron con indicadores de salud bien establecidos como el estrés psicológico, la sintomatología depresiva y ansiosa, y la inflexibilidad psicológica. La consistencia interna de los puntajes de la escala de soledad fue óptima tanto para la medida global (α = .91; ω = .91) como para las medidas positiva (α = .87; ω = .87) y negativa (α = .86; ω = .88).

    Conclusiones: Los resultados apoyan a la UCLA v3 como una medida confiable y válida de la soledad para futuros estudios de investigación interesados en examinar la prevalencia de la soledad y su impacto en la salud en el contexto de Covid-19 en la población portuguesa, y como un indicador de salud en programas de promoción de salud y de intervenciones clínicas.

  • English

    Currently, the gold standard measure to assess loneliness is the University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness scale version 3 (UCLA v3).

    Objective. The aim of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of UCLA v3 for the European Portuguese population.

    Method: A sample of 282 participants was surveyed in Portugal.

    Results: Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported a model portraying a global loneliness bifactor solution for positive and negative wording items, which achieved optimal fitness. Multi-group CFA indicates scalar and metric invariance across gender. Loneliness test scores (global score, positive items and negative items) correlated with well-established mental health indicators such as psychological stress, depressive and anxiety symptomatology, or psychological inflexibility. Internal consistency of the loneliness test scores was optimal for the global measure (α = .91; ω = .91) as well as for the positive (α = .87; ω = .87) and the negative factors (α = .86; ω = .88).

    Conclusions: Results support UCLA v3 as a reliable and valid measure of loneliness for future research studies interested in examining the prevalence of loneliness and impact in health in the context of Covid-19 in the Portuguese population and as a health indicator in health promotion and clinical interventions.

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