TY  - JOUR
AU  - Sebo, Paul
AU  - Tudrej, Benoit
AU  - Bernard, Augustin
AU  - Delaunay, Bruno
AU  - Dupuy, Alexandra
AU  - Malavergne, Claire
AU  - Maisonneuve, Hubert
PY  - 2024
DA  - 2024/7/16
TI  - Validation and Refinement of the Sense of Coherence Scale for a French Population: Observational Study
JO  - Interact J Med Res
SP  - e50284
VL  - 13
KW  - French
KW  - sense of coherence
KW  - salutogenesis
KW  - SOC
KW  - Sense of Coherence scale
KW  - validation
KW  - validscale
KW  - well-being
KW  - promoting
KW  - resilience
KW  - validity
KW  - reliability
KW  - primary care patients
KW  - manageability
AB  - 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: Using the validscale Stata command, we aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the French version of the 3-dimension 13-item SOC questionnaire (SOC-13), encompassing the comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness dimensions. We also aimed to determine if a refined scale, assessed through this method, exhibits superior psychometric properties compared to the SOC-13. Methods: A sample of 880 consecutive primary care patients recruited from 35 French practices were asked to complete the SOC-13. We tested for internal consistency and scalability using the Cronbach α and Loevinger H coefficients, respectively, and we tested for construct validity using confirmatory factor analysis and goodness-of-fit indices (root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] and comparative fit index [CFI]). Results: Of the 880 eligible patients, 804 (91.4%) agreed to participate (n=527, 65.6% women; median age 51 years). Cronbach α and Loevinger H coefficients for the SOC-13 were all <0.70 and <0.30, respectively, indicating poor internal consistency and poor scalability (0.64 and 0.29 for comprehensibility, 0.56 and 0.26 for manageability, and 0.46 and 0.17 for meaningfulness, respectively). 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 of the SOC questionnaire (SOC-8) were excellent (Cronbach α=0.82, Loevinger H=0.38, RMSEA=0.05, and CFI=0.97). Conclusions: The psychometric properties of the 3-dimension SOC-13 were poor, unlike the unidimensional SOC-8. A questionnaire built only with these 8 items could be a good candidate to measure the SOC. However, further validation studies are needed before recommending its use in research. 
SN  - 1929-073X
UR  - https://www.i-jmr.org/2024/1/e50284
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/50284
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/39012689
DO  - 10.2196/50284
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/50284
ER  -