Gerascophobia or Excessive Fear of Aging Scale (GEFAS): Development, validation, and exploration of psychometric properties of a brief instrument using classical testing theory and item response theory

IF 3.5 3区医学 Q2 GERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY Archives of gerontology and geriatrics Pub Date : 2024-08-18 DOI:10.1016/j.archger.2024.105599

Waqar Husain , Farrukh Ijaz , Muhammad Ahmad Husain , Ammar Achraf , Hasan M. Isa , Khaled Trabelsi , Seithikurippu R. Pandi-Perumal , Amir H. Pakpour , Haitham Jahrami

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Abstract

Background

Gerascophobia, or excessive fear of aging, is thought to be caused by a mixture of cognitive, experiential, and physiological factors acting on a person at particular time points. Measurement tools for evaluating geraschophobia remain insufficiently developed, despite this commonplace fear's distress.

Objective

The objective of the current study was to develop and validate the Gerascophobia or Excessive Fear of Aging Scale (GEFAS) and analyze its psychometric properties.

Methods

Three successive investigations were carried out with a total of 1594 participants. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to evaluate the construct validity of the GEFAS. Convergent and discriminant validity was assessed by examining relationships with measures of depression, anxiety, stress, death anxiety, psychosocial illness, and life satisfaction. Multiple linear regression was used to investigate factors that predict fear of aging.

Results

The GEFAS demonstrated high reliability (Cronbach alpha >0.8). Factor analysis supported a single-factor solution for the scale (fitness indices CFI, TLI, NNFI, NFI, RFI, and MFI all > 0.95; RMSEA=0.06. Significant positive correlations were found between fear of aging and depression (r = 0.270; p < 0.01), anxiety (r = 0.311; p < 0.01), stress (r = 0.285; p < 0.01), death anxiety (r = 0.600; p < 0.01), and psychosocial illness (r = 0.243; p < 0.01). A significant inverse correlation was observed with life satisfaction. Gender differences were also noted, with women exhibiting greater fear of aging than men (p < 0.01; d = 0.488).

Conclusion

The GEFAS fills a significant gap in the psychological/psychiatric literature as a useful tool for evaluating the fear of aging. The study concludes that the excessive fear of aging contributes to poor mental health.

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老年恐惧症或过度恐惧衰老量表（GEFAS）：利用经典测试理论和项目反应理论开发、验证和探索简明工具的心理测量特性

背景恐老症或对衰老的过度恐惧被认为是由在特定时间点作用于人的认知、经验和生理因素混合造成的。本研究旨在开发和验证老年恐惧症或过度恐惧衰老量表（GEFAS），并分析其心理测量学特性。对 GEFAS 进行了探索性和确认性因素分析，以评估其构造效度。通过研究GEFAS与抑郁、焦虑、压力、死亡焦虑、社会心理疾病和生活满意度等测量指标之间的关系，评估了GEFAS的统合效度和区分效度。多元线性回归用于研究预测衰老恐惧的因素。结果GEFAS显示出较高的可靠性（Cronbach alpha >0.8）。因子分析支持量表的单因子解决方案（适度指数CFI、TLI、NNFI、NFI、RFI和MFI均为0.95；RMSEA=0.06）。衰老恐惧与抑郁（r = 0.270; p <0.01）、焦虑（r = 0.311; p <0.01）、压力（r = 0.285; p <0.01）、死亡焦虑（r = 0.600; p <0.01）和社会心理疾病（r = 0.243; p <0.01）之间存在显著的正相关。与生活满意度呈明显的负相关。研究还发现了性别差异，女性比男性表现出更大的衰老恐惧（p < 0.01; d = 0.488）。研究得出结论，对衰老的过度恐惧会导致心理健康状况不佳。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Archives of gerontology and geriatrics 医学-老年医学

CiteScore

7.30

自引率

5.00%

发文量

198

审稿时长

16 days

期刊介绍： Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics provides a medium for the publication of papers from the fields of experimental gerontology and clinical and social geriatrics. The principal aim of the journal is to facilitate the exchange of information between specialists in these three fields of gerontological research. Experimental papers dealing with the basic mechanisms of aging at molecular, cellular, tissue or organ levels will be published. Clinical papers will be accepted if they provide sufficiently new information or are of fundamental importance for the knowledge of human aging. Purely descriptive clinical papers will be accepted only if the results permit further interpretation. Papers dealing with anti-aging pharmacological preparations in humans are welcome. Papers on the social aspects of geriatrics will be accepted if they are of general interest regarding the epidemiology of aging and the efficiency and working methods of the social organizations for the health care of the elderly.