Abstract
Currently, information about the psychometric properties of the Social Support Networks Scale (SSNS) for family caregivers of children with cancer is not yet available; therefore, there is no empirical evidence of its validity and reliability to support its use in this population. The aim of this study is to determine a factorial model of the SSNS, estimate its internal consistency reliability, describe its distribution, and check its concurrent validity. A convenience sample of 633 family caregivers of children with cancer hospitalized in a National Institute of Health in Mexico City was collected. The SSNS, a sociodemographic variables questionnaire, and three instruments that evaluated family functioning, quality of life, and resilience were applied. The five-factor model had a poor data fit and lacked discriminant validity. The sample was divided. In a subsample of 316 participants, exploratory factor analysis suggested a four-factor model. When testing the four-factor model through confirmatory factor analysis, religious support was independent of family support, friend support, and lack of support. In the other subsample of 317 participants, the one-factor model for religious support had a good fit, and the correlated three-factor model, with the remaining factors, showed an acceptable fit. Reliability ranged from acceptable (Guttman’s λ2 = 0.72) to good (λ2 = 0.88). Socio-family support and its three factors were correlated with family functioning, resilience, and quality of life. Religious support was correlated with four factors of resilience and quality of life. A scale of socio-family support with three factors and an independent scale for religious support are defined from the SSNS, and they showed internal consistency and construct validity.
Highlights
ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to determine a factorial model of the Social Support Networks Scale (SSNS), estimate its internal consistency reliability, describe its distribution, and check its concurrent validity
The convenience sample consisted of 633 family caregivers of children with cancer hospitalized at a National Institute of Health in Mexico City
The fact that neighbor support cannot be distinguished from religious support, when the latter is independent of family and friend support in the final version of the scale and presents a different correlation pattern, may indicate that the support of neighbors is not supportive in the instrumental and emotional sense but, rather, the ideological, spiritual, or imaginary sense
Summary
The aim of this study is to determine a factorial model of the SSNS, estimate its internal consistency reliability, describe its distribution, and check its concurrent validity. In response to this need, the aim of the present study was to analyze psychometric properties of the SSNS. All the family caregivers interviewed were invited to participate voluntarily, the objectives of the research were explained, and all their questions related to the study were answered. The first objective of this research was to determine the factorial structure of the 45-item SSNS. The second objective of the study was to verify the reliability of the internal consistency of the scale
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