[Study of the internal consistency and factor structure of the Impact of Event Scale among Colombian women victim of violence].
BACKGROUND
The Impact of Event Scale is used to identify possible cases of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in clinical settings. However, among Colombians its psychometric properties are unknown.


OBJECTIVE
To establish the internal consistency and factor structure of the Impact of Event Scale among women referred for forensic examination due to violence in Bucaramanga, Colombia.


METHODS
A group of 310 women between 18 and 65 years participated in this research. The mean age was 31.6 years (SD = 10.7); the mean scholarship was 8.8 years (SD = 4.4); 59.1% were half or full-time employees; 58.7% were married; 60.6% lived in low-class neighbourhood; and 52.3% reported having been victim of physical assault. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was calculated and the factor structure was explored for the Impact of Event Scale.


RESULTS
The Cronbach coefficient was 0.80 and three-dimensional structure (reexperiencing, avoidant behaviors and restricted affect) that accounted for roughly 50% of the variance.


CONCLUSIONS
The Impact of Event Scale shows acceptable internal consistency and three factors explain significant percentage of the variance.
Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia.
Leddy
L
Contreras-Pezzotti
Juan
J
Arteaga-Medina
Adalberto
A
Campo-Arias
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003105:Colombia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014754:Violence; D055815:Young Adult