Longitudinal measurement invariance in urbanization index of Chinese communities across 2000 and 2015: a Bayesian approximate measurement invariance approach

Ted C T Fong,Rainbow T H Ho

doi:10.1186/s12889-021-11691-y

Abstract

BackgroundThe Urbanicity Scale was developed based on the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) to measure the urbanization index of communities according to 12 components. The present study was designed to systematically investigate the factorial validity, reliability, and longitudinal measurement invariance (LMI) of the Urbanicity Scale.MethodsSix waves of CHNS data from 2000 to 2015 were adopted. The factor structure and reliability of the Urbanicity Scale for 301 communities were examined using Bayesian exploratory factor analysis. Metric and scalar LMIs were evaluated using both the conventional exact and a novel approximate LMI approach via Bayesian structural equation modeling across various timeframes.ResultsThe findings verified the one-factor structure for the Urbanicity Scale, with adequate reliability. LMI was established for the Urbanicity Scale only over a shorter timeframe from 2006 to 2009 but not over a longer timeframe from 2000 to 2015. Partial LMI was found in the factor loadings and item intercepts for the Urbanicity Scale over the 2004 to 2011 period.ConclusionInterpretation of the temporal change in urbanicity was supported only for a shorter (2006 to 2009) but not a longer timeframe (2000 to 2015). Adjustments addressing the partial non-invariance of the measurement parameters are needed for the analysis of temporal changes in urbanicity between 2004 and 2011.

Highlights

The Urbanicity Scale was developed based on the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) to measure the urbanization index of communities according to 12 components
The present study involved a systematic evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Urbanicity Scale using six waves of CHNS data spanning from 2000 to 2015
The Urbanicity Scale displayed approximate but not exact scalar invariance across 2006 and 2009, statistically significant deviations were found in only four item intercepts, with none being practically substantial (Δ < 6%). These results demonstrate longitudinal measurement invariance (LMI) for the Urbanicity Scale across the timeframe from 2006 to 2009

Summary

Introduction

The Urbanicity Scale was developed based on the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) to measure the urbanization index of communities according to 12 components. The present study was designed to systematically investigate the factorial validity, reliability, and longitudinal measurement invariance (LMI) of the Urbanicity Scale. The past two decades have witnessed a remarkable social and economic transformation in mainland China [1]. In a systematic review [4] of 11 relevant studies on urbanicity, eight of the studies did not explicitly test the psychometric properties of their urbanicity scales. The China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) [5] is a longitudinal national survey that collected 10 waves of measurements between 1989 and 2015 on societal and economic transformation at the community level and the nutrition and health status of citizens in China

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