Journal article
PSYCHOMETRIC EVALUATION OF A SWAHILI-TRANSLATED KESSLER 6 AMONG OLDER KENYANS
Innovation in aging, v 7(Suppl 1), pp 125-125
21 Dec 2023
Abstract
The six-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) has successfully been used to screen psychological distress, albeit among primarily Western dwelling adults. A major advantage of the K6 scale is the capacity to measure a variety of mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety. However, limited studies have investigated the applicability of the K6 scale to assess psychological distress among aging individuals in Africa. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the psychometric properties of a culturally adapted (Swahili version) of the K6 in a sample of aging Kenyans. A sample of 376 participants (N = 376; mean age =69.56 years; 73.7% women) was obtained from three regions in Kenya. Factor analyses were used to examine the properties of the translated K6 in aging Kenyans. The correlation between the scale and other health measures were also estimated using structural equation modeling. Factor analyses revealed a single factor model. CFA demonstrated excellent fit (CFI = 0.950; RMSEA = 0.109). Internal consistency was good (alpha =.83) and the scale had acceptable correlations with chronic (r = .15) and physical health (r = .16). Results underlined that the K6 is a one-factor scale that can be used to measure psychological distress in aging Kenyans. These are promising results for health professionals who seek to conduct population studies on psychological health using a brief scale. Future studies should refine these results to maximize the utility of the K6 scale among aging Kenyans.
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Details
- Title
- PSYCHOMETRIC EVALUATION OF A SWAHILI-TRANSLATED KESSLER 6 AMONG OLDER KENYANS
- Creators
- James Muruthi (Corresponding Author) - Drexel UniversityLucy Maina - Kenyatta UniversityElijah Mwega - ,Violet Kagai - ,Ndungu Muruthi - ,Candidus Nwakasi - University of Connecticut
- Publication Details
- Innovation in aging, v 7(Suppl 1), pp 125-125
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Counseling and Family Therapy
- Other Identifier
- 991021867180404721