Validation of the Leiden Inventory for the Child’s Well-Being in Daycare (LICW-D) Questionnaire in Norwegian Early Childhood Education and Care Centers

The promotion of children’s development and well-being is a core concept in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) quality frameworks. Yet, few validated instruments measuring young children’s well-being exist. This study examined the validity of The Leiden Inventory for the Child’s Well-being in Daycare (LICW-D) (De Schipper et al., 2004b) in a sample of toddlers (n = 1,472) attending ECEC centers in Norway, using confirmatory factor analysis. Factorial invariance across gender and concurrent validity were also investigated. Indicators of concurrent validity were problem behaviors and difficult temperament, as rated by professional caregivers. Results showed a marginally acceptable fit for the hypothesized one-factor model, when allowing the measurement error of four item pairs to be correlated. This slightly modified model showed satisfactory concurrent validity, and factorial invariance across gender was confirmed.

Un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales sobre el efecto de la salud en la intención de practicar desplazamiento activo: estudio de la invarianza factorial por sexo y edad (A structural equation model about the effect of health on behaviour intention to pra

En los últimos años ha habido un elevado crecimiento de problemas de salud en las personas, tales como obesidad, sobrepeso, diabetes, etc. Una forma de combatir este problema es el desplazamiento activo. El objetivo de este trabajo es evaluar el efecto de la salud, el confort y la conciencia medioambiental sobre la intención de practicar desplazamiento activo, así como estudiar la invarianza factorial por sexo y edad. Para ello se diseñó un cuestionario y se distribuyó mediante un muestreo por conveniencia con efecto de bola de nieve, obteniéndose 448 respuestas válidas. Para el análisis se especificó y estimó un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales con AMOS. Los resultados permitieron verificar la fiabilidad y validez del modelo de medida y del modelo estructural. De igual modo, los resultados permitieron concluir que se cumple la invarianza factorial para la variable sexo, pero no se cumple la invarianza factorial estricta para la variable edad. Abstract. A growing of health problems in people have been in recent years, as obesity, overweight, diabetes, etc. Active commuting is a way to combat these problems. The objective of this work is to assess the effect of health, comfort and environmental awareness on behaviour intention to practice active commuting, as well as to study the factorial invariance by sex and age. For this purpose, a questionnaire was designed and distributed by means of a convenience sample with snowball effect. 448 responses were obtained from this sample. The specification and estimation of structural equation model with AMOS was designed for the analysis of the data. The results show that the reliability and validity of measurement model and structural model is verified. The results also show that factorial invariance by sex is verified but strict factorial invariance for age is not verified.

Dimensionality of the Chinese CES-D: Is It Stable across Gender, Time, and Samples?

Depression is a common mental illness among Chinese adolescents. Although the Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) has been widely used in diverse populations, the reported factor structures are inconsistent, and its longitudinal invariance is under-researched. This study examined the psychometric properties and factorial invariance across gender and time of the CES-D among Chinese adolescents. Adolescents aged above 11 years from five schools in Chengdu responded to a questionnaire at Wave 1 (n = 5690). Among them, 4981 participants completed the same questionnaire after six months (Wave 2). The matched sample was composed of 4922 students (51.5% were girls; mean age = 13.15 years) at Wave 1. We used exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to examine the factor structure and performed multi-group CFA to test the factorial invariance across gender and time. A three-factor solution was identified, including “positive affect”, “somatic complaints”, and “depressed affect”. Results of multi-group CFA comparisons supported the factorial invariance of the resultant three-factor solution. Using a new sample of Chinese adolescents in Southwestern China, the present study reproduced earlier findings on adolescents in other areas in China. This study has implications for depression assessment and research in Chinese adolescents.

Measurement Invariance of the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) in Peruvian and Spanish Older Adults

Although the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) has been validated in some European and American countries, there are no studies that evaluate its factorial invariance among different nations. In this sense, the objective of the study is to evaluate the factorial invariance of the BRCS in samples of older adults in Peru and Spain, using multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis. 236 older adults from Peru participated (Mean age = 72.8, SD = 6.90) and 133 older adults from Spain (Mean age = 71, SD = 7). In the Peruvian sample 78.4% were women and 21.6% men; while in the Spanish sample the majority were women (69.9%). The BRCS was scalar invariant but not strictly invariant between Spain and Peru. Our results found invariance of the structure, factor loadings and intercepts in both countries. These results support the use of BRCS in studies that compare the resilience between samples of older adults in both countries, and encourage applied research for the development of resilience in older adults in Spain and Peru.

Validity and reliability of an instrument to evaluate the digital competence of teachers in relation to online tutorials in the stages of Early Childhood Education and Primary Education

El artículo presenta la validez y fiabilidad de un instrumento para evaluar el nivel de competencia digital del profesorado de Educación Infantil y de Educación Primaria para llevar a cabo la acción tutorial a través de recursos TIC como parte del proceso educativo en tiempos de COVID-19. El instrumento cuenta con 35 ítems clasificados en cinco dimensiones (A- funciones del tutor con el alumnado, B- funciones del tutor con el profesorado, C- funciones del tutor con la familia, D-Formación en TIC y transferencia, E- Uso de recursos TIC). El instrumento fue aplicado a una muestra de 1098 profesores en activo procedentes de 14 comunidades autónomas de España. La fiabilidad fue medida a través de Alfa de Cronbach, Coeficiente de Spearman-Brown, Dos mitades de Guttman, Omega McDonald y fiabilidad Compuesta. Para comprobar la validez del instrumento, fue analizado la validez de comprensión, exploración de la dimensionalidad mediante Análisis-Factorial-Exploratorio (AFE), y se fue ajustando el instrumento a través de diferentes modelos a través del análisis factorial confirmatorio (AFC). Además, fue analizada la invarianza factorial por la variable sexo (masculino-femenino), tipo de centro (público-concertado) y tipo de profesorado (educación infantil-educación primaria), así como la validez externa. Los análisis de fiabilidad fueron altamente satisfactorios y en relación a la validez de constructo, los resultados encontraron un buen ajuste del modelo tanto en la validez interna como en la invarianza factorial, con una versión final del instrumento de 25 ítems. This article demonstrates the validity and reliability of an instrument to evaluate the level of digital competence of Early Childhood Education and Primary Education teachers to carry out online tutorials using ICT resources as part of the educational process during the COVID-19 pandemic. The instrument consists of 35 items classified into five dimensions (A – functions of the tutor with the students; B ­– functions of the tutor with the teaching staff; C – functions of the tutor with the family; D – training in ICT and transfer; E – use of ICT resources). The instrument was applied to a sample of 1,098 active teachers from 14 autonomous communities located in Spain. Reliability was measured using Cronbach’s Alpha, the Spearman-Brown Coefficient, Guttman Two Halves, Omega McDonald, and for composite reliability. To check the validity of the instrument, we analysed the validity of understanding, and exploration of dimensionality using Factorial-Exploratory Analysis (EFA), and the instrument was adjusted for the different models through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). In addition, factorial invariance was evaluated based on the variables sex (male/female), type of centre (public/charter school), and type of teaching staff (Early Childhood Education/Primary Education), as well as external validity. The results of the reliability analyses were highly satisfactory and, in relation to the construct validity, the results found a good fit of the model, both in the internal validity and in the factorial invariance. The final version of the instrument consists of 25 items.

Composition and Factorial Invariance for the Assessment of Body Image Dissatisfaction Questionnaire in Mexican Adolescents

Body image is a mental representation that a person has, which could become a body dissatisfaction due to the pressure exerted by the culture, affecting several life stages specially in adolescents. The aim of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties and factorial invariance of the questionnaire to assess body image dissatisfaction. The sample consisted of 552 Mexican teenagers, 259 female, and 293 male, with a mean age of 12.91 ± 0.96 years. Confirmatory Factor Analyses show that a five-factor structure is viable and adequate. The five-factor structure (perceptual, emotional distress, behavioral, proposal to change, and fear of gaining weight) show adequate fit indices and validity, even though the obtained model does not completely correspond to that proposed by the authors of the scale, it continues to endorse the multifactorial component of body dissatisfaction. On the other hand, the factorial structure, the factor loadings, and the intercepts are considered invariant in both populations; however, there are differences between the populations for the means of the perceptual, emotional distress, and fear of gaining weight factors. This study serves as a premise for future research on the study of instruments for measuring body image in populations with different personal and cultural factors.

Exercise addiction in Mexico: Psychometric properties of the Exercise Addiction Inventory and risk analysis

Introduction: The consequences of exercise addiction have a physical, psychological and social impact on the sports men and women, similar to others addictions, which can cause serious health problems. In Mexico its incidence and relevance are unknown, and there is no instrument for its evaluation. This study aims to analyse the psychometric properties of the Exercise Addiction Inventory in a Mexican context and examine its relevance to different groups of people who practice sport. Method: Participants consisted of 487 people who practice physical exercise or competitive sport, aged between 18 and 52, with a mean age of 22.04. The EAI was used, and reliability analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and factorial invariance analysis were conducted. Differences between groups of participants were also tested. Results: The results demonstrated the unifactorial structure of instrument, with satisfactory goodness of fit indices, and its factorial invariance was confirmed. The reliability obtained was adequate. In addition, significant differences were found between men and women in relation to degree of addiction, there was a higher risk for athletes compared to regular exercise goers, and 26.5% of participants obtained scores that place them at a high risk of exercise addiction. Conclusions: It is concluded that EAI is an adequate and reliable instrument, with appropriate psychometric properties. In the studied population there is an excessively high rate of participants who present a high risk of addiction, and men and athletes are the most susceptible groups to develop an exercise addiction.