Development and validation of the Soweto Stress Scale: Mixed-methods, population-based study of adults living in Soweto, South Africa

Abstract

This article moves from ethnography to epidemiology to generate a locally specific assessment of stress and evaluates it correlates with general psychiatric morbidity. We conducted two related ethnographic studies of stress and distress in Soweto, South Africa (N=107). We then used these studies to develop the Soweto Stress Scale, piloted the scale, and then evaluated its use in an epidemiological surveillance study of stress and health (N=933). We used factor analyses to evaluate factor structure and maximum likelihood estimates to evaluate comparative fit indices. The Keiser-Meyer-Olkin test identified sufficient sample variation, and the scale was suitable for factor analysis. The confirmatory factor analysis supported a single-factor model with a χ2(df) (104) = 475.88; p < 0.001. Even though the comparative fit index/Tucker-Lewis index were poor and could not be improved, the Cronbach's alpha (0.81) was excellent, suggesting that the model was a reasonable representation of the data. The final model indicated that there was covariance between items and consistency with our theoretical concept of stress. The Soweto Stress Scale shows strong internal consistency and reflects a very localized view of social stressors and may serve to identify those with higher psychological morbidity. Given the racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity within South Africa, our emic stress scale was tested in a community sample but may be useful for screening individuals with higher levels of stress or psychological distress within clinical settings.