[Psychometric properties of the third version of family adaptability and cohesion evaluation scales (FACES-III): a study of peruvian adolescents]

Family functioning in students of health sciences in four Latin American countries: a study of the structure and factorial invariance of the FACES III scale. A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Psychometric studies of the FACES III scale in Spanish-speaking countries show a lack of agreement on the factorial structure of the scale. In addition, most of the studies have only performed exploratory analyses of its factorial structure.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the present study was to confirm the structure and factorial invariance of the FACES III scale in nursing and obstetric students from Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Mexico.

METHODS

A total of 3303 students from the four countries participated in this study (Colombia = 1559, Chile = 1224, Peru = 215, Mexico = 305).

RESULTS

The results of the study showed that the Bi-factor model presents the best-fit indexes to the data from Colombia, Chile, and Mexico, but not from Peru. In addition, it was found that this model showed evidence of being strictly invariant among the three countries in the sequence of the invariance models proposed: metric invariance (ΔRMSEA = .000), scalar (ΔRMSEA = .008), and strict (ΔRMSEA = .008). The bi-factor model also showed adequate reliability indexes in the three countries.

CONCLUSION

It is concluded that the FACES III scale shows adequate psychometric performance under a bi-factor model in nursing and obstetric students from Colombia, Chile, and Mexico. The lack of fit of the model in Peru could be associated with the small sample size.

Evaluation of the psychometric properties of the family adaptability and cohesion scale (FACES III) through item response theory models in students from Chile and Colombia

BACKGROUND

A psychometric study of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale (FACES III) has been conducted in Spanish-speaking countries from the perspective of the classical test theory. However, this approach has limitations that affect the psychometric understanding of this scale.

OBJECTIVE

Accordingly, this study used the item response theory to investigate the psychometric performance of the items. Furthermore, it evaluated the differential performance of the items for Colombia and Chile.

METHOD

For this purpose, 518 health science students from both countries participated. Confirmatory Factor Analysis was used.

RESULTS

The study results revealed that the cohesion and adaptability items presented adequate discrimination and difficulty indices. In addition, items 5, 8, 13, 17, and 19 of cohesion indicated differential functioning between students from both countries, with Chilean students exhibiting a greater discriminatory power. Further, the Colombian group exhibited a greater discriminatory power for item 18 of adaptability.

CONCLUSIONS

The study concluded that the items of FACES III indicated adequate psychometric performance in terms of their discriminative capacity and difficulty in Chile and Colombia.

Differences in family functioning before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: an observational study in Peruvian families

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on family relationships, as several families have lost family members due to COVID-19 pandemic and become physically and emotionally estranged due to lockdown measures and critically economic periods. Our study contrasted two hypotheses: (1) family functioning changed notably before and after the COVID-19 pandemic initiation in terms of cohesion, flexibility, communication and satisfaction; (2) balanced families have a greater capacity to strictly comply with quarantine (i.e., social confinement), compared to unbalanced families. We performed an observational study comparing family functioning between two independent groups, evaluated before and during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Peru. A total of 7,980 participants were included in the study. For the first hypothesis, we found that, during the pandemic, families became more balanced in terms of cohesion (adjusted before-during mean difference or β1 = 1.4; 95% CI [1.0-1.7]) and flexibility (β2 = 2.0; 95% CI [1.6-2.4]), and families were less disengaged (β3 = -1.9; 95% CI [-2.3 to -1.5]) and chaotic (β4 = -2.9; 95% CI [-3.3 to -2.4]). Regarding the second hypothesis, we confirmed that families with balanced cohesion (adjusted prevalence ratio or aPR = 1.16; 95% CI [1.12-1.19) and flexibility (aPR = 1.23; 95% CI [1.18-1.27]) allowed greater compliance with quarantine restrictions; while disengaged (aPR = 0.91; 95% CI [0.88-0.93]) and chaotic families (aPR = 0.89; 95% CI [0.87-0.92]) were more likely to partially comply or not comply with the quarantine. Finally, family communication (aPR = 1.17; 95% CI [1.11-1.24]) and satisfaction (aPR = 1.18; 95% CI [1.11-1.25]) also played a role in favouring quarantine compliance. This new evidence enlightens the family systems theory while informing future interventions for improving compliance with quarantine measures in the context of social confinement.

Family Functioning as an Explanatory Factor of Empathic Behavior in Argentine Medical Students

Empathy is a relevant competence in the study and practice of medicine whose development could depend on the functioning style of each family. This study aims to compare the distribution of empathy levels, about functionality or dysfunction, and the three styles, which can be derived from family functioning in the families of Argentine medical students. Previously providing evidence of the validity of the family functioning measure. As well as provide evidence of the validity of the measure of family functioning.

METHODS

Ex post facto design: 306 Argentine medical students who had already taken the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Spanish Edition (JSE-S) and the abbreviated Spanish Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES-20). A gender-weighted linear regression analysis was made, establishing an ANOVA and multiple comparisons via DMS to determine the effect of functional and dysfunctional families' balanced, intermediate and extreme functioning styles concerning empathy.

RESULTS

Students who presented dysfunction in familial cohesion and adaptability showed measures of empathy greater than those classified as functional. Differences of cohesion were statistically significant in compassionate care, perspective taking and general empathy. These components were significantly higher in students from families classified as extreme than balanced ones. Students classified within families with either extreme or dysfunctional styles showed greater levels of empathy than more adaptive and functional ones, except in the 'walking in patient's shoes' component where differences were not observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Individual resilience as an intervening variable in the presence of empathy is discussed.

IMPLICATIONS

The study of empathy, its associated variables, and the conditions of its development remains a central theme in relation to students and professionals of the health sciences. To achieve an effective professional practice, it is necessary to develop human capacities such as empathy and personal resilience.

Evaluation of a bifactor model and psychometric properties of FACES III in Peruvian students

Background: To analyze the internal structure of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales-FACES III by evaluating three tentative models. Method: Non-probability sampling of 306 Peruvian students of both sexes between 15 and 26 years of age. The structural properties and internal consistency of the Original, Bifactorial and One-dimensional models were studied in detail. Results: The bifactorial model has a better fit than the remaining models, but was discarded as it does not satisfy the criteria of the suggested evaluation indices. Likewise, difficulties are observed in the internal consistency of the Flexibility subscale except for the One-Dimensional Model. Conclusion: FACES III is an instrument with consistency and internal structure problems directly associated with the presence of the Flexibility subscale as reported in previous studies.

[Family functioning, parental rearing and its relationship to nutritional status in preschoolers]

Objetivo

Analizar la asociación entre funcionalidad familiar, crianza parental y estado nutricional en preescolares.

Diseño

Estudio cuantitativo, descriptivo correlacional y transversal.

Emplazamiento

Instituciones públicas de educación preescolar en el estado de Nuevo León, México. Atención Primaria.

Participantes

Muestra compuesta por 228 diadas (madre o padre y preescolar); se tomó como único criterio de inclusión ser el responsable principal de la crianza del preescolar.

Mediciones principales

Se empleó un cuaderno de recogida datos sociodemográficos, el estado nutricional se determinó basándose en recomendaciones de la Organización Mundial de la Salud, se utilizaron la Escala de Evaluación de la Cohesión y la Adaptabilidad Familiar y el cuestionario de Estilos de Crianza Parental. Se obtuvo estadística descriptiva y el coeficiente de correlación de Spearman.

Resultados

El promedio de edad de los padres fue de 32,09 años, el 60,5% de las madres se dedican al hogar y el 100% de los padres trabaja; la media de escolaridad en años fue de 12,16; el 68,9% de los participantes son casados; referente a los preescolares, el 29,4% presentó sobrepeso u obesidad. En cuanto a la funcionalidad familiar, se identificó que en la dimensión de cohesión es semirrelacionada el 44,3%. El estilo de crianza parental que predominó en los padres fue el permisivo con el 62,3%.

Conclusiones

La mayoría de los padres de familia presentaron desequilibrio en la funcionalidad familiar. No se encontró significación estadística entre funcionalidad familiar y crianza parental con estado nutricional en preescolares (p < 0,05).

Validez e invarianza factorial de una medida breve de Satisfacción con la Vida Familiar

Se examinó la estructura factorial, la confiabilidad, la validez convergente y discriminante, y la invarianza factorial por sexo, de la Satisfaction with Family Life Scale (SWFLS). Los participantes fueron 804 estudiantes de primaria y secundaria de escuelas privadas de Lima, con un promedio de edad de 13.5 años (DE = 1.6). Los resultados confirman la estructura unidimensional de la escala (χ2 = 3.49, df = 5, p = 0.63; χ2/df = 0.69; GFI = 0.998; CFI = 1; NFI = 0.998; RMSEA = 0 [IC90% 0, 0.038] y SRMR = 0.007), la invarianza factorial por sexo y una consistencia interna adecuada (α = 0.84; ω = 0.84; H = 0.85). Se obtuvieron evidencias satisfactorias de validez convergente y discriminante de las SWFLS con medidas de funcionalidad familiar, bienestar subjetivo y depresión. En conclusión, la SWFLS presenta excelentes propiedades psicométricas para medir la satisfacción con la vida familiar en escolares limeños.