title: Design of psychosocial factors questionnaires: a systematic measurement approach.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Evaluation of psychosocial factors requires instruments that measure dynamic complexities. This study explains the design of a set of questionnaires to evaluate work and non-work psychosocial risk factors for stress-related illnesses.
  
  
  METHODS
  The measurement model was based on a review of literature. Content validity was performed by experts and cognitive interviews. Pilot testing was carried out with a convenience sample of 132 workers. Cronbach's alpha evaluated internal consistency and concurrent validity was estimated by Spearman correlation coefficients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three questionnaires were constructed to evaluate exposure to work and non-work risk factors. Content validity improved the questionnaires coherence with the measurement model. Internal consistency was adequate (α = 0.85-0.95). Concurrent validity resulted in moderate correlations of psychosocial factors with stress symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Questionnaires' content reflected a wide spectrum of psychosocial factors sources. Cognitive interviews improved understanding of questions and dimensions. The structure of the measurement model was confirmed.
authors.affiliation: Social Security and Professional Risk Subcenter, Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia. gvillalo@javeriana.edu.co
authors.forename: Gloria H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Villalobos
authors.forename: Angélica M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Vargas
authors.forename: Martin A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rondón
authors.forename: Sarah A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Felknor
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult