Factor analysis of the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory among a sample of Spanish-speakers

Abstract

ABSTRACT A study was conducted to examine the factor structure of the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (NSI) among a large community sample of 729 Spanish-speakers from the Continental United States (n = 174, 23.9%), Latin America (n = 465, 63.8%), and Spain (n = 90, 12.3%) The sample was 62.1% female, had at least 10 years of formal education, and ranged in age from 18 to 65 years (M = 36.7, SD = 12.5). The sample was randomly split into two groups with comparable demographics for a sequential analysis that consisted of an exploratory factor analysis on the first subsample followed by a confirmatory factor analysis within a second validation subsample. Results demonstrated a high internal consistency reliability for the Spanish version of the NSI, and a three-factor solution was supported with somatic, affective, and cognitive factors. Findings were comparable to prior studies with the English version of the NSI providing preliminary support for the construct validity of this measure among a large sample of Spanish-speakers. Further study is needed to determine the criterion-related validity of the individual factors as separate subscales and to examine the appropriateness of this measure for individuals with lower levels of education.