Second-order Confirmatory Factor Analysis Research Articles

Geographical variation, demographic and socioeconomic disparities in Active Ageing: The situation in Thailand

ObjectivesBeing healthy and active is a goal to achieve a better quality of life as individuals age. This study aimed to explore and validate the Active Ageing (AA) model, and examine geographic variations, and demographic and socioeconomic disparities. Study designUtilising a cross-sectional secondary data analysis, the analytic unit is older adults aged 60–80 across all provinces in Thailand. MethodsExploratory Factor Analysis explored the AA structures, and the second-order Confirmatory Factor Analysis validated the model fit. Factor scores were used to identify geographic variation and sociodemographic disparities in AA. The association between geographic, and sociodemographic characteristics, and AA was examined through hierarchical regression analysis. ResultsThe AA model, comprised of 14 indicators representing three latent factors–physical health, participation, and security–exhibited an optimal fit. Geographic inequality in AA emerged across the country, with specific areas linked to lower AA. An inverse relation between participation and security was observed. Rural residence, younger age, male, being married, and adequate income were associated with better AA. The association between AA and geographic, demographic, and socioeconomic emphasised the positive role of marital and economic status. ConclusionsThis study contributes to understanding the social determinants of health by constructing a comprehensive AA model. The findings highlight the geographic variations and demographic and socioeconomic disparities in AA across Thailand. While AA generally declines with age, a better economy may help alleviate these disparities. These findings underscore the need for tailored social and public health policies, avoiding a “one-size-fits-all” approach.

Developing Measurement of Collaboration Between the Supplier and Client Firms

This study recommends a suitable model for evaluating supply chain collaboration in the natural forest products industry. We follow a two-step analysis: The first-order measurement model is leveraged to assess collaboration level, and the second-order confirmatory factor analysis develops the collaboration level by using four indicators representing customer and supplier firms as well as two specific indicators for each of them. Four items are common practices for both sides: joint sales forecasting, exchange of basic information, joint planning, and joint delivery improvement. Two practices are highly oriented toward customers: resource sharing of logistics assets and exchange of performance evaluation. Business-to-business practices engaged mostly with suppliers include the implementation of replenishment systems and joint new product development. Collaboration measurement between suppliers and client firms contributes to effectively manage the relationship between the supplier and client firms and can improve the competitiveness of participating firms in the network.

Assessing complex PTSD and PTSD: validation of the German version of the International Trauma Interview (ITI)

ABSTRACT Background: With the introduction of the ICD-11 into clinical practice, the reliable distinction between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) becomes paramount. The semi-structured clinician-administered International Trauma Interview (ITI) aims to close this gap in clinical and research settings. Objective: This study investigated the psychometric properties of the German version of the ITI among trauma-exposed clinical samples from Switzerland and Germany. Method: Participants were 143 civilian and 100 military participants, aged M = 40.3 years, of whom 53.5% were male. Indicators of reliability and validity (latent structure, internal reliability, inter-rater agreement, convergent and discriminant validity) were evaluated. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and partial correlation analysis were conducted separately for civilian and military participants. Results: Prevalence of PTSD was 30% (civilian) and 33% (military) and prevalence of CPTSD was 53% (civilians) and 21% (military). Satisfactory internal consistency and inter-rater agreement were found. In the military sample, a parsimonious first-order six-factor model was preferred over a second-order two-factor CFA model of ITI PTSD and Disturbances in Self-Organization (DSO). Model fit was excellent among military participants but no solution was supported among civilian participants. Overall, convergent validity was supported by positive correlations of ITI PTSD and DSO with DSM-5 PTSD. Discriminant validity for PTSD symptoms was confirmed among civilians but low in the military sample. Conclusions: The German ITI has shown potential as a clinician-administered diagnostic tool for assessing ICD-11 PTSD and CPTSD in primary care. However, further exploration of its latent structure and discriminant validity are indicated.

Psychometric Properties of the Principal Instructional Leadership Scale (PILS) in Saudi Arabia

BackgroundsThe principal instructional leadership describes how school principals oversee the curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The main aims of the current study were translation and evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Principal Instructional Leadership Scale (PILS) in a Saudi Arabian population. MethodsThe translation and cross-cultural adaptation process has been conducted in five stages, including forward translation, translation synthesis, backward translation, expert committee, and pilot testing. Face, content, construct, and convergent validity were used to establish validity. Cronbach's alpha coefficient and McDonald's omega (Ω) were used for internal consistency. ResultsTo validate the PILS structure, the total sample (N = 724) was randomly split into two subgroups, each comprising 362 individuals, for Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA). Five factors obtained from EFA explain 71.07 % of the variance in PILS. The PILS encompasses domains of improving curriculum quality, teaching, and enhancing the effectiveness of adaptive learning, adding to the dimensions covered by previous instructional leadership measures. The five components show strong internal consistency (0.93 to 0.97). Both first-order and second-order CFAs confirmed the 5-factor model, meeting criteria (CFI > 0.91, GFI > 0.9, IFI > 0.9, RMSEA<0.05). All 21 items displayed suitable internal consistency (Cronbach's α > 0.8, McDonald's omega >0.7). Second-order average variance extracted validity (0.50) indicated PILS validity. Gender invariance analysis revealed no significant differences (∆CFI < 0.01, ΔRMSEA<0.01) in PILS structure between genders. ConclusionThe reliability and validity of the Arabic rendition of PILS are commendable, making it suitable for evaluating principal instructional leadership in Saudi Arabia.

The Development of Happy Organization Indicators of Private Vocational Colleges in The Northeast

Background and Aims: The concept of a happiness organization is another idea aimed at promoting the quality of life in the workplace for individuals. It believes that fostering relationships within the organization leads to happiness. The feeling of being valued and having a sense of worth to the organization creates a sense of commitment, joy, love in work, and devotion to the organization. ready to dedicate physical and mental strength to contribute fullest potential of the organization. This research aims, to development of happy organization indicators and to test the goodness of fit of the structural relationship model of happy organization indicators of private vocational colleges in the Northeast with empirical data. Methodology: The research is divided into 2 phases. Phases 1 to development of happy organization indicators. The key informants group consisted of 9 experts, a sample group of 490 administrators and teachers. The research instrument is an interview form and a questionnaire. Statistics to analyze data by mean and standard deviation. Phase 2 to test the goodness of fit of the structural relationship model happy organization indicators of private vocational colleges in the Northeast with the empirical data, by second-order confirmatory factor analysis. Results: The indicators of the happy organization of private vocational colleges in the Northeast comprised 5 factors and 25 indicators, Happy people 5 indicators, Happy home 5 indicators, Organizational culture 5 indicators, Job satisfaction 5 indicators, and Happy Teamwork 5 indicators. 2. The goodness of fit of the structural relationship model of happy organization indicators of private vocational colleges in the Northeast. It was in good agreement with the empirical data, with Chi-Square = 3853.531, df = 270, P-Value = 0.000, CMIN/df. = 1.428, CFI = .962, GFI = 0.929 TLI = .958, AGFI= 0.915, RMSEA=0.033 RMR= 0.030, NFI= 0.886, IFI= 0.963. Every component had a statistically significant relationship at the 0.001 level. Conclusion: The consideration of workplace happiness is deemed a crucial factor in organizational management, particularly in the realm of human resource management. It has a significant impact on an individual level, fostering greater motivation and effectiveness in the workplace, and creating an atmosphere of happiness in the educational environment, administrators, teachers, and students collaboratively work together with full dedication and ability, resulting in improved operations and increased efficiency and effectiveness. Creating a positive image for the organization, and most importantly, the ultimate product of the educational institution: students who receive instruction from teachers working joyfully

DECISION-MAKING OF FOOTBALL REFEREES BEHIND CLOSED DOORS: PSYCHOLOGICAL, COMMUNICATIVE, AND FUNCTIONAL FACTORS

DECISION-MAKING OF FOOTBALL REFEREES BEHIND CLOSED DOORS: PSYCHOLOGICAL, COMMUNICATIVE, AND FUNCTIONAL FACTORS

Development of the ethical decision-making competence scale.

Developing confident capacity for ethical decision-making is vital in nursing education. However, no tool examines nursing students' competence in ethical decision-making. This study aimed to develop an Ethical Decision-Making Competence Scale (EDM-CS) to assess ethical care decision-making competencies in nursing students. Original items were obtained by employing a focus group and the Delphi method. A cross-sectional design was used to confirm the items remained on the scale. Additionally, the scale's reliability and validity were assessed. The EDM-CS was completed by 498 nursing students. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to examine the factor structure based on data from group 1 (n = 250). A second-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine the model's fitness based on data from group 2 (n = 248). This study was conducted between August 2022 and July 2023. The Institutional Review Board of OO Medical University Hospital approved this study's design and procedure. From the original 34 items, nine were deleted in the EFA. Thus, the EDM-CS had 25 items and a four-factor structure (ethical judgement, ethical sensitivity, ethical motivation, and ethical action), which explained 60.97% of the total variance. A second-order CFA identified a second-order factor termed 'ethical decision-making competence' with 18 items (root mean square residual = 0.052). The EDM-CS scores correlated significantly and positively with the scores on the Scale of Protective Factor-24 (r = 0.47, p < .001), which indicated good convergent validity. Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the final EDM-CS was 0.90 and ranged from 0.73 to 0.80 for the four subscales. The EDM-CS was validated to fit the data adequately. It can be used to evaluate clinical nursing students' ethical decision-making abilities and to develop education strategies to improve their ethical care competence.

Development and Validation of a School Alienation Scale for Junior High School Students in Taiwan

This study addressed the issue of school alienation (SA) among high school students in Taiwan; SA is believed to contribute to dropout, violence, gangs, and deviant behavior. To measure SA, we propose a four-construct model in this study, comprising powerlessness, normlessness, meaninglessness, and social isolation. Using two studies, an SA scale (SAS) was developed and validated. Study 1 developed and preliminarily validated the four constructs of SA using item and exploratory factor analyses with 227 junior high school students as participants. Study 2 validated the theoretical structure of SA using second-order confirmatory factor analysis with a sample of 708 junior high school students. The cross-validation of Studies 1 and 2 demonstrated that the proposed SAS is robust, valid, and effective for measuring the degree of SA among students.

Development and validation of a self-management self-efficacy scale for premature birth prevention (SMSE-PBP) for women of childbearing age

BackgroundThis study aimed to develop and evaluate the validity and reliability of a self-management self-efficacy for premature birth prevention (SMSE-PBP) in women of childbearing age (WCA).MethodsInstrument development and validation were undertaken in three phases: conceptualization, item generation and evaluation of content validity, and evaluation of construct and concurrent validity and reliability. Data were analyzed using exploratory and second-order confirmatory factor analyses, and concurrent validity was examined using Pearson’s correlation coefficients. The reliability was analyzed using omega hierarchical and Cronbach’s ⍺.ResultsContent validity was assessed by experts and cognitive interviews of WCA. The SMSE-PBP consists of a second-order 3-dimension and 10-factor scale with 60 items; therefore, the construct and concurrent validity of the SMSE-PBP were supported. The omega values were 0.93 for pre-pregnancy SMSE-PBP, 0.92 for pregnancy SMSE-PBP, and 0.94 for hospital SMSE-PBP. Cronbach’s ⍺ was 0.88 for pre-pregnancy SMSE-PBP, 0.96 for pregnancy SMSE-PBP, and 0.96 for hospital SMSE-PBP.ConclusionsThe SMSE-PBP scale is valid and reliable for WCA; it is helpful for WCA and health professionals to assess women’s SMSE-PBP and pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, or hospital SMSE-PBP. The next steps should include assessing the relationship with pregnancy health behaviors.

Parental Stress Scale Validation

Children with special needs require specialized therapy due to developmental problems or anomalies. To carry out treatment, attend suitable schooling, medicine, and even for daily activities, special needs children may require full or partial support from a caregiver. The high burden of caregivers with special needs generates a terrible quality of life, which impacts mental health and can even lead to unfavorable parental attitudes toward children with special needs. This study aims to validate the Parental Stress Scale (PSS) developed by Deater-Deckard. The Indonesian translation technique refers to the guidelines provided by the International Test Commission. The sample data comprises 250 individuals, including both mothers and caregivers. The results indicate a good fit of the second-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) measurement model with the PSS. The reliability of the three PSS dimensions is robust, as evidenced by Composite Reliability (CR) and Average Variance Extracted (AVE) values for parent distress (0.895; 0.552), difficult child (0.907; 0.594), and parent-child dysfunctional relationship (0.954; 0.749). Moreover, the PSS demonstrates both convergent and discriminant validity. Hence, the translation findings affirm the legitimacy and reliability of the Parental Stress Scale (PSS) for use in the Indonesian context.

Confirmatory factor analysis of the Race-Based Traumatic Stress Symptom Scale in a sample of Asian American adults.

The present study examined the factor structure of the Race-Based Traumatic Stress Symptom Scale (RBTSSS) in a sample of Asian American adults. The sample (n = 403) comprised 78% women, ages 18-72 years, who were administered the RBTSSS in a survey. A first-order and second-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted. The RBTSSS demonstrated good internal consistency in the present study, Cronbach's αs = .78-.94. The first-order CFA revealed mixed model fit indices, χ²(1,253) = 3,431.52, p < .001, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = .066, comparative fit index (CFI) = .875, Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) = .868. The second-order CFA revealed similar mixed findings, χ²(1,267) = 3,559.93, p < .001, RMSEA = .067, CFI = .869, TLI = .863. Findings demonstrated mixed support for the factor structure of the RBTSSS in a sample of Asian American adults. Future research may consider additional testing of the RBTSSS in Asian Americans and further exploring the construct of racial trauma in Asian Americans. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Integral leadership in nursing: Development and psychometric validation of a Korean version of the Integral Nursing Leadership Scale

BackgroundWith the importance of nursing leadership roles, there is a need for a more integrated approach to nursing leadership that can adapt quickly to many challenges in today's healthcare environments. In recent years, integral leadership that can apply a more holistic and inclusive approach to leadership has gained growing attention in other disciplines. However, research on integral leadership in nursing is sparse since no instrument specifically measuring integral leadership in nursing contexts is available. ObjectiveThe study aimed to develop an integral nursing leadership scale and evaluate its psychometric properties. MethodsThe scale was developed in two phases. In the first phase, items were generated to reflect the attributes of integral leadership in the nursing context. These attributes were identified through a conceptualization process using a literature review and semi-structured interviews. The process was based on the four dimensions of the integral leadership framework, adopting Wilber's four quadrants of integral theory. Then, the psychometric properties of the scale, including content validity, structural validity, and internal consistency reliability, were evaluated. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 806 Korean nurses and were analyzed using both exploratory factor analysis and second-order confirmatory factor analysis, using two separate random halves of the sample. ResultsThe newly developed scale consisted of 30 items across four dimensions: individual leadership qualities, individual performance, influencing organizational culture, and organizational excellence. Content validity for the 30 items was calculated to be 0.84 for item-level content validity and 0.96 for the scale's content validity averaging method, indicating adequate content validity. The four-factor structure of integral nursing leadership was cross-validated by exploratory factor analysis and second-order confirmatory factor analysis. The internal consistency reliability was also found to be acceptable, as indicated by a Cronbach's alpha of 0.97 and a McDonald's ω estimate of 0.98. ConclusionFindings demonstrate that the Integral Nursing Leadership Scale has acceptable content validity, structural validity, and reliability in measuring integral leadership, specifically in the context of nursing. More research is needed to further refine and establish strong validity of the scale.

Framing external environmental dimensions as institutional constraints on adopting Islamic financial transactions: empirical evidence from: Libyan commercial banks

Purpose The purpose of this study is to frame the dimensions of the external institutional environment, namely, cultural-cognitive, normative and regulative dimensions as the main actors in the organisational field. More precisely, Libyan commercial banks have been identified as empirical evidence, to identify constraints of the institutional environment governing the behaviour and decision-making of commercial banks, when adopting Islamic financial transactions. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire has been designed for 14 Libyan commercial banks which is distributed to the Board of Directors, managers, directors of departments, and personnel. The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and the measurement model by using the first-order and second-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) have been applied as essential steps to embody the conceptual framework and test the research hypotheses. Findings The results of the EFA indicated sufficient correlation among the dimensions of the external environment. The CFA supported this study’s hypotheses. The modelling showed that the cultural-cognitive, normative and regulative dimensions are institutional constraints impeding Libyan commercial banks’ adoption of Islamic financial transactions. Interestingly, the findings of the CFA align with the EFA findings in supporting the conceptual framework of the research. They portrayed that the cultural-cognitive dimension has been identified by explicit and implicit cognition. Originality/value This study systematically embodies the dimensions of the external institutional environment, namely, cultural-cognitive, normative and regulative dimensions, as the main factors in the organisational field to be conceptually rich lenses to investigate social considerations to reinforce institutional thought broadly. The results of this study were consistent with extant Islamic financial literature, reflecting symmetry and similarity across commercial banks, particularly at the first stage of adopting Islamic financial transactions.

Validation and analysis of the metric properties of the Leadership Virtues Questionnaire in work and organizational psychologists and individuals who perform leadership functions in Chile.

The literature on leadership and personal competencies exhibits limitations in terms of construct definition, behavior specifications and valid theory-based measuring strategies. An explanatory design with latent variables and the statistical software SAS 9.4 were used for the validation and adaptation to Spanish of the Leadership Virtues Questionnaire applied to work and organizational psychologists and people who exercise leadership functions in Chile. The levels of agreement between judges for the adaptation to the Spanish language and the confirmatory factor analysis of first order with four dimensions shows insufficient statistical indices for the absolute, comparative and parsimonious adjustments. However, a second-order confirmatory factor analysis with two dimensions presents a satisfactory fit for the item, model, and parameter matrices. The measurement of Virtuous Leadership would provide relevant inputs for further evaluation and training based on ethical competencies aimed at improving management, which would, in turn, allow for its treatment as an independent variable to generate an ethical organizational culture.

Psychometric Validation and Setting Cutoff Point for the Persian Version of Mindful Self-Care Scale (MSCS) Among Older Adults

Mindful self-care is a valuable activity that contributes to old people’s independence and self-control and its development is in line with the duties of social workers. This study aimed to validate the mindful self-care scale (MSCS) for Iranian old people and was performed on old people living in the community of Shiraz, Iran. This cross-sectional study was conducted on old people living in the community who met the inclusion criteria in Shiraz, Iran. After linguistic validation of the Persian version of MSCS with 36 items, face, and content validity were determined. Then the first part of construct validity was conducted using a kurtosis test, and exploratory factor analysis with the first sample ( n = 250). After selecting the appropriate items, confirmatory factor analysis was assessed with the second sample ( n = 250). Scale reliability was also evaluated. The optimal cut-off points were obtained by calculating the area under the curve (AUC). SPSS version 23 was used for further data analysis, while confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using AMOS version 24. Exploratory factor analysis loaded only 24 items with four factors. The modified second-order confirmatory factor analysis model displayed a good fit (RMSEA = 0.04; CFI = 0.90; GFI = 0.90). Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of MSCS with 24 items was .94. The cut-off points were 38, 11, 23, and 17 for factors of resilience, goal achievement, supportive relationship, and self-care respectively, and 90 for the whole instrument. The study found that the MSCS short form with 24 items is valid and reliable in the Iranian elderly population, making it an effective tool for mental self-care screening and a practical tool for social workers. However, the study recommends repeating the study in other cities of Iran to generalize the findings.

Measuring design thinking competence in Taiwanese nursing students: a cross-cultural instrument adaptation

BackgroundDesign thinking (DT) competence, a creative problem-solving ability, has been investigated extensively among college students in various professional fields within the western cultures. No instrument, however, is available for assessing DT competence in nursing students, particularly, those in non-western cultures.ObjectiveTo adapt and validate the use of Creative Synthesis Inventory (CSI) assessing the four components (i.e., visualization, discovery, prototyping, and evaluation) of DT competence in nursing students in Taiwan.DesignCross-sectional, mixed methodological design combining qualitative and quantitative strategies.ParticipantsA 19-item CSI was administered to a total of 520 nursing students from two campuses of a science and technology university in Taiwan. The data collection was conducted between September 2020 and June 2022.MethodsThe cross-cultural adaptation and validation of CSI-Taiwan was done in two phases: Phase I included content validity check, translation, and cross-cultural adaptation. Phase II involved pilot testing and psychometric evaluation.ResultsA first-order confirmatory factor analysis validated the four-component structure, namely visualization, discovery, prototyping, and evaluation, of an 18-item CSI-Taiwan (model fit indices: χ2/df = 3.953, NNFI = 0.942, CFI = 0.956, TLI = 0.947, SRMR = 0.035, and RMSEA = 0.075). A second-order confirmatory factor analysis further indicated that the four components converged on a unitary construct of DT competence (model fit indices: χ2/df = 4.082, NNFI = 0.935, CFI = 0.949, TLI = 0.940, SRMR = 0.040, and RMSEA = 0.080). Moreover, the CSI-Taiwan also demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity. Together these results validated the construct of DT competence and its components as theorized.ConclusionsThe CSI-Taiwan was a reliable and valid self-report instrument to be used by Taiwanese nursing students.

Psychometric properties of parent reading belief inventory with a sample of Indonesian mothers

&lt;span lang="EN-US"&gt;The beliefs that parent currently have are increasingly attracting attention regarding the implementation of literacy for their children at home, was measured using parent reading belief inventory (PRBI) measuring tool developed by DeBaryshe and Binder. PRBI has not been adapted in Indonesia, making collaborative research difficult. Respondents in this study were mothers who had children aged 3-6 years old totally 177 respondents. Sampling technique with quota sampling. This research aims to develop a reliable and valid version of PRBI in Indonesia using International Test Commission guidelines. Data analysis using the second-order confirmatory factor analysis. The results showed that PRBI instrument was a valid and reliable instrument to measure the beliefs of parents in carrying out reading aloud activities with their children in Indonesia. Future research is expected to improve PRBI construct empirically based on the culture in each region, so that it can identify types of parents’ reading beliefs that implication children’s reading abilities.&lt;/span&gt;

A confirmatory factor analysis of the Iranian version of the interpersonal communication skills scale among healthcare professionals

BackgroundIdentifying healthcare professionals’ (HCPs) communication skills is crucial to improving patient outcomes. Iranian HCPs’ interpersonal communication skills (ICS) were validated using a culturally appropriate and indigenous scale.Materials and methodsIn November and December 2021, convenience sampling was used to collect data from 170 HCPs. Seven factors were covered by the questionnaire, which consisted of 30 items. In order to validate the scale, first- and second-order confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were performed. Various indices were used during the CFA, including Goodness of Fit Index (GFI), Adjusted Goodness of Fit (AGFI), Comparative Fit Index (CFI), Normed Fit Index (NFI), Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR), and Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA). The Fornell-Larcker Criterion was used to assess discriminant validity. We analyzed the data in Lisrel 8.8 and SmartPLS 3.2.8.ResultsAccording to the Q2-index obtained from the blindfold test, the model had 44% predictive power. First-order CFA results showed acceptable indices (χ2 = 767.17; DF = 375; CFI = 0.98; GFI = 0.82; AGFI = 0.80; NFI = 0.97; SRMR = 0.22; RMSEA = 0.068). Furthermore, the second-order measurement model demonstrated adequate and desirable fit indices (χ2 = 797.24; DF = 381; CFI = 0.98; GFI = 0.82; AGFI = 0.78; NFI = 0.97; SRMR = 0.059; RMSEA = 0.068). General and listening skills were ranked highest in the importance-performance map analysis (IPMA).ConclusionHCPs could benefit from this scale as it can assist them in developing ICS. It is recommended that skills training programs be replicated among different populations to evaluate their effectiveness.

Characteristics of public spaces in BSD City-gated community

Providing public spaces within city-gated communities can help reduce social segregation between residents and non-residents. To facilitate interaction, it is important to identify the characteristics of public space that are most preferred. This study aims to identify the characteristics of public space based on the preferences of gated and non-gated residents in a private city-gated community. There are four characteristics of public space studied: multifunctionality, accessibility, convenience, and inclusiveness. Collecting data uses the questionnaire survey method. The analysis technique used second-order confirmatory factor analysis. This study’s results show that multifunctionality, accessibility, convenience, and inclusiveness are significant characteristics of public space to stimulate interaction between gated and non-gated residents in BSD City. Accessibility is the characteristic of mosques and markets. On city parks and a total public space, it is not proven. The users of city parks are not concerned with it as long as they can obtain their needs within it. So, the conclusion is that the three main characteristics of public spaces promoting interaction between residents of gated and non-gated are multifunctionality, convenience, and inclusiveness.

Construction and validation of a competency model for hospital operation assistant of public hospitals in China: a cross‑sectional study

BackgroundHospital operation assistant (HOA) plays an important role in promoting the operation effectiveness and efficiency of hospital. China, as a resource-poor country, urgently needs to train HOA talent. The purpose of this study is to construct and validate a competency model for HOA, which can be used as a tool to select and train HOAs.MethodsBasic competency items were first constructed through literature review combined with the job analysis of HOA. Then, a questionnaire survey conducted on more than 300 hospital operation management-related staff was used to assess the importance of competency items. Exploratory factor analysis, structural equation model and second-order confirmatory factor analysis were used to construct and validate the competency model of HOA.ResultsA total of 23 items were identified as critical to HOA capability, which were further divided into three factors: professional skills, professional knowledge and personality traits. The structural equation model showed that the standardized path coefficients of the three factors were 0.86, 0.82 and 0.98. The competency model passed strict fitting effect tests in several aspects, including root-mean-square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.077 (< 0.080), standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) = 0.062 (< 0.080), comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.927 (> 0.900) and Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) = 0.918 (> 0.900), which showed that the fitting validity of the model was ideal. The composite reliability (CR), average variance extracted (AVE) and correlation coefficients of all factors were within the standard range, which showed that the construction validity and discrimination validity of the model were ideal.ConclusionOur study indicates that the competency model of HOA is an instrument with appropriate fit validity, construct validity and discriminant validity, which can provide criteria for selecting and training HOAs.