title: The validity and reliability of the Sense of Coherence scale among Indian university students.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The importance of salutogenesis, with the focus of what creates health rather than what causes diseases, has been highlighted for a long time. This has been operationalized by Aaron Antonovsky as the Sense of Coherence (SOC-13) scale. The aim of this study was to further examine the psychometric properties of the SOC-13 in India.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study was carried out among second-year degree students at three randomly chosen institutions at Mangalore University. Investigators assessed the appropriateness, relevance, comprehensiveness and understandability of the scale. Further, the scale was assessed by five subject experts. The SOC-13 was then pretested by administering it to peers, individuals and a few of the study subjects. Internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach's alpha and split-half reliability. Test-retest reliability was assessed by administering the instrument to the same study participants after two weeks. Confirmatory factor analysis employing varimax rotation was employed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The SOC-13 revealed a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.76. Split-half reliability and Guttman split-half reliability were found to be 0.71 and 0.70, respectively. Test-retest reliability was found to be 0.71 (p < 0.01). Factor analysis revealed a three-factor solution explaining 40.53% of the variation in SOC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SOC-13 was found to be a reliable and valid instrument for measuring SOC in an Indian context. The present study contributes to health promotion in an Indian context, and could be useful even in other developing countries and for further research in India.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Dentistry, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal University, Mangalore, Karnataka, India drrajeshgrao@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Gururaghavendran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rajesh
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Health and Culture, Center on Salutogenesis, University West, Trollhättan, Sweden.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eriksson
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Keshava
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pai
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seemanthini
authors.affiliation: Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal University, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Dilip G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Naik
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Dentistry, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal University, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Ashwini
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rao
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D060685:Sense of Coherence; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: India; psychometric properties; salutogenesis; sense of coherence