Social support and aging: psychometric analysis of the ENRICHD Social Support Instrument in a Chilean population over 50.

Abstract

Background: Social support is relevant to studying well-being, quality of life, and health during aging, particularly in people over 50. Therefore, brief instruments that allow its measurement within the clinical evaluation and research processes are necessary. The ENRICH Social Support Scale (ESSI) is a brief and easy-to-use instrument that measures the perception of social support; however, its psychometric properties in people over 50 in the Chilean context have yet to be tested.

Method: This study had a non-experimental, longitudinal panel design in which a sample of 303 people over 50 years of age (M = 55.14 years, SD = 5.19; 52% women) were administered a survey incorporating sociodemographic variables, the ESSI and the Newsom Social Negativity Scale. 277 participants completed the follow-up survey (M = 56.75 years, SD = 5.15; 54% women). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), structural equation modeling (SEM), invariance analysis, and internal consistency tests were performed to determine the psychometric properties.

Results: The six items from the scale load in a single-factor model obtained an excellent fit to the data and reliability coefficients (α = 0.902; ω = 0.904). The SEM analysis evidenced an inverse correlation between the ESSI and Newsom's social negativity scale, demonstrating evidence of construct validity. Furthermore, in the sex invariance analyses, the scalar level was reached, implying that the items' meanings are the same for men and women. Finally, the residual level was reached in the temporal invariance analyses, which means that the scale items are consistent in time.

Conclusions: The ESSI is a reliable and valid tool to be used in the Chilean context both in the clinical setting and in research on people over 50. The evidence obtained supports its usability to appropriately measure the perception of social support, which is relevant considering that it has been associated with reports of higher quality of life and lower mortality and morbidity during aging.