Testing the measurement invariance of the University of Washington Self-Efficacy Scale short form across four diagnostic subgroups.
The University of Washington Self-Efficacy Scale (UW-SES) was originally developed for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and spinal cord injury (SCI). This study evaluates the measurement invariance of the 6-item short form of the UW-SES across four disability subgroups. Evidence of measurement invariance would extend the UW-SES for use in two additional diagnostic groups: muscular dystrophy (MD) and post-polio syndrome (PPS).



Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate successive levels of measurement invariance of the 6-item short form, the UW-SES: (a) configural invariance, i.e., equivalent item-factor structures between groups; (b) metric invariance, i.e., equivalent unstandardized factor loadings between groups; and (c) scalar invariance, i.e., equivalent item intercepts between groups. Responses from the four groups with different diagnostic disorders were compared: MD (n = 172), MS (n = 868), PPS (n = 225), and SCI (n = 242).



The results of this study support that the most rigorous form of invariance (i.e., scalar) holds for the 6-item short form of the UW-SES across the four diagnostic subgroups.



The current study suggests that the 6-item short form of the UW-SES has the same meaning across the four diagnostic subgroups. Thus, the 6-item short form is validated for people with MD, MS, PPS, and SCI.
Department of Education, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34134, Korea. hyewonchung7@gmail.com.
Hyewon
H
Chung
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Box 354237, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
Jiseon
J
Kim
Theoretical and Behavioral Foundations Division, Wayne State University, 5425 Gullen Mall, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA.
Ryoungsun
R
Park
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Box 354237, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
Alyssa M
AM
Bamer
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Box 354237, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
Fraser D
FD
Bocell
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Box 354237, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
Dagmar
D
Amtmann
D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods*; D020377:Self Efficacy; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D014481:United States; D014861:Washington / Q000453:epidemiology
Measurement invariance; Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis; Multiple sclerosis; Muscular dystrophy; Post-polio syndrome; Self-efficacy; Spinal cord injury