title: Factor analysis to examine psychometric properties of family functioning measures.
abstract: To assess the relationship of family functioning to problem behaviors and alcohol and drug use among youth, researchers must test the effects of interventions using suitably constructed and psychometrically sound scales. This study evaluated whether originally calculated coefficients alpha underestimate the reliability of the family functioning measures given. Through exploratory factor analysis, estimates of alternative internal consistency reliability which might improve the estimate of reliability were examined. Responses of 755 adults from Strengthening Multi-ethnic Families and Communities were analyzed. Coefficients alpha for two scales were modest (alpha = .68 and alpha = .75), and factor analysis indicated that the scales were multidimensional. After exploratory factor analysis, the reassessment of reliability based on the extracted factors indicated an overall increase in the coefficients alpha.
authors.affiliation: Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 1 Choke Cherry Road, Room 4-1005, Rockville, MD 20857, USA. nikki.bellamy@samhsa.hhs.gov
authors.forename: Nikki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bellamy
authors.forename: Resa F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Matthew
authors.forename: Min Qi
authors.initials: MQ
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires