Relationship between engagement in meaningful activities, self-efficacy, and quality of life in healthy young adults: An exploratory study

Abstract

Background The use of meaningful activities promotes health and well-being. There is no study with a healthy adult Spanish population that tries to determine how people engage in meaningful activities and the relationship between self-efficacy and quality of life. Aims This study aimed to 1) confirm the construct validity of the Engagement in Meaningful Activities Survey (EMAS) with a healthy population; 2) evaluate the internal consistency of the EMAS for a non-clinical population, and 3) examine convergent validity with self-efficacy (General Self-Efficacy) and health-related quality of life. Material and Methods The methodology for construct validation and reliability of health questionnaires was conducted. A total of 177 non-clinical adults participated, between 18 and 60 years old. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed, and Cronbach’s alpha was obtained to measure internal consistency for EMAS. A correlation analysis was performed with the other variables of interest: self-efficacy and quality of life. Results The two-dimensional structure of the EMAS for the non-clinical adult population is confirmed: personal emotional competence versus the social experiential component. In addition, the results indicate a moderate association between engagement in meaningful activities and self-efficacy. Conclusion The EMAS is a valid questionnaire to be used in the Spanish adult population.