Translation and validation of the 18-item Lubben Social Network Scale with older adults in Mongolia

Abstract

In Mongolia, social, demographic, and geographic factors have heightened the need for a reliable means to assess social isolation of older adults. The purpose of this study was to identify, translate, and validate such a measure. The study was conducted in two phases: translation and back translation of the 18-item Lubben Social Network Scale to Mongolian (LSNS-18-M) and field testing to establish reliability and validity and to explore potential cut-off points. The sample comprised 198 Mongolians aged ≥ 55 years selected from six hospitals in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Internal consistency and intraclass correlations for the LSNS-18-M were excellent, indicating high reliability. The scale showed strong convergence with social disconnectedness and perceived isolation scales and with the Geriatric Depression Scale. It was also inversely related to self-rated health status, but not to the physical or mental health subscales of the Short Form-12 (SF-12) survey. The LSNS-18-M scores discriminated among three levels of social disconnectedness and three levels of perceived isolation. Regarding content validity, the 18 items loaded cleanly on the same three factors as the original LSNS-18, inter-factor correlations were good, all factors were correlated with the LSNS-18-M, and they accounted for two-thirds of variance in scores. The LSNS-18-M had excellent reliability and good validity with a sample of older Mongolians and should be useful for screening, assessment, and monitoring social isolation. Future studies should examine lack of association with the SF-12 and should assess the scale's use with non-hospitalized and non-urban older adults in Mongolia and with Mongolian speakers outside the country.