title: Factor Structure and Reliability of the Malay Version of the Perceived Stress Scale among Malaysian Medical Students.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Perceived Stress Scale 10 (PSS-10) is a validated and reliable instrument to measure global levels of perceived stress. This study aims to assess the internal consistency, reliability, and factor structure of the Malay version of the PSS-10 for use among medical students.
  
  
  METHODS
  The original English version of the PSS-10 was translated and back-translated into Malay language. The Malay version was distributed to 242 Bachelor of Medical Science students in a private university in Malaysia. Test-retest reliability was assessed in 70 students. An exploratory principal component factor analysis with varimax rotation was performed. Reliability was tested using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 242 students participated in the initial questionnaire study (validity and factor structure), and 70 students participated in the test-retest reliability of the study. Exploratory factor analysis yielded 2 factors that accounted for 57.8% of the variance. Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the 2 factors were 0.85 and 0.70, respectively. The reliability test showed an ICC of 0.82 (95% CI: 0.70, 0.89).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Malay version of the PSS-10 showed adequate psychometric properties. It is a useful instrument for measuring stress among medical students in Malaysia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, International Medical School, Management and Science University (MSU) , 40100, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Sami Abdo Radman
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Al-Dubai
authors.forename: Mustafa Ahmed
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Alshagga
authors.forename: Krishna Gopal
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Rampal
authors.forename: Nik Aziz
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Sulaiman
keywords: Malaysia; medical; psychological; reliability and validity; stress; students