JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Salutogenesis focuses on understanding the factors that contribute to positive health outcomes. At the core of the model lies the sense of coherence (SOC), which plays a crucial role in promoting well-being and resilience.

Objective:

We used validscale, a new Stata command, to assess the psychometric properties of the French version of the three-dimensional SOC-13 scale (dimension#1=comprehensibility, dimension#2= manageability, dimension#3=meaningfulness), and, depending on these results, of an alternative version more valid and reliable than the SOC-13.

Methods:

A sample of 880 consecutive primary care patients recruited in 35 French medical practices were asked to complete the SOC-13 questionnaire. We tested for internal consistency using Cronbach's alphas and Loevinger’s H coefficients, and for construct validity using confirmatory factor analysis and goodness-of-fit indices (RMSEA and CFI).

Results:

Of the 880 eligible patients, 804 (91.4%) agreed to participate (women=65.6%, median age=51 years). Cronbach's alphas and Loevinger's H coefficients for the SOC-13 were all <0.70 and <0.30 respectively, indicating poor internal consistency (0.64 and 0.29 for comprehensibility, 0.56 and 0.26 for manageability and 0.46 and 0.17 for meaningfulness). The RMSEA and CFI were >0.06 (=0.09) and <0.90 (=0.83) respectively, indicating a poor fit. By contrast, the psychometric properties of a unidimensional 8-item version (SOC-8) were excellent (Cronbach alpha=0.82, Loevinger's H coefficient=0.38, RMSEA=0.05, CFI=0.97).

Conclusions:

We found that the psychometric properties of the French version of the three-dimensional SOC-13 were poor, unlike the unidimensional SOC-8. Although the SOC-8 was found to be both valid and reliable in our study, further validation studies are needed before recommending its use in research. Clinical Trial: N/A