Abstract
Many studies suggest that stress accelerates the appearance of certain biological markers of brain aging as well as the development of age-related pathologies. Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is one of the most widely used tools to measure perceived stress. Very few studies have examined the psychometric properties, reliability, and validity of the PSS in elderly adults. The aim of current study was to validate this instrument in a community-based sample of elderly adults with or without cognitive impairment. 768 nondemented adults over the age of 70 from the Einstein Aging Study (EAS) completed the PSS-14 questionnaire as well as the EAS comprehensive neuropsychological battery. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was used to define the underlying factor structure of PSS and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to test the construct validity of factors. In addition, we used a split half factor analysis to further validate the results. The reliability of the scale was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, and concurrent validity was evaluated by examining PSS relation with age, gender, depression, and anxiety. Participants had an average age of 79.9 years (SD=5.4) and an average education level of 14.1 years (SD=3.4). A two-factor model fitted our PSS data well. All loadings exceeded 0.4 except item 12, which loaded highly on both factors. In the split half analysis, CFA confirmed the 2-factor structure of the scale. Reliability coefficients were satisfactory for the full scale (Cronbach's alpha = 0.83). PSS was associated with age (r s =0.11, p=0.001), and women showed higher levels of stress than men (t=3.2, p=0.007). PSS scores showed high association with depression (r s = 0.39, p<0.001), and anxiety (r s = 0.29, p<0.001). The repeated analysis on a subset of participants with MCI showed similar outcomes. PSS-14 revealed satisfactory psychometric properties in non-demented elderly adults and therefore it is acceptable for use in elderly adults, including the MCI population.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
