COVID-19 Bereavement in Ten Latin American Countries: Measurement Invariance of the Pandemic Grief Scale and Its Relation to Suicidal Ideation

The present study aimed to evaluate the cross-cultural measurement invariance of the Pandemic Grief Scale (PGS) in ten Latin American countries. A total of 2,321 people who had lost a family member or other loved one due to COVID-19 participated, with a mean age of 34.22 years old (SD = 11.99). In addition to the PGS, a single item of suicidal ideation was applied. The unidimensional model of the PGS had adequate fit in most countries and good reliability estimates. There was evidence of measurement invariance by country and gender. Also, a one-point increase in the PGS was associated with an almost twofold increase in the odds of suicidal ideation. Scores greater than or equal to 4 on the PGS are proposed as a cut off to identify individuals with suicidal ideation. Strong evidence of the cross-cultural validity of the PGS is provided.

Prevalence and Predictors of Intention to be Vaccinated Against COVID-19 in Thirteen Latin American and Caribbean Countries

The presence of a significant number of people who do not intend to be vaccinated could negatively impact efforts to control the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this study sought to determine the prevalence of intention to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and associated sociodemographic and psychosocial factors in thirteen countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). A total of 5510 people from 13 LAC countries participated. Frequencies, percentages, bivariate analyses using chi-square tests, and Poisson regression analysis with robust variance were used. The countries with the highest prevalence of intention to be vaccinated were Brazil (96.94%), Cuba (89.59%), Chile (84.59%), and Mexico (78.33%). On the other hand, the countries with the lowest prevalence were El Salvador (54.01%), Paraguay (55.87%), and Uruguay (56.40%). Prevalence is also reported according to some sociodemographic and health variables. It was found that country, male sex, hours exposed to information about COVID-19, university education, living in an urban area, belief in the animal origin of the virus, perceived likelihood of contracting COVID-19, perceived severity of COVID-19, and concern about infecting others significantly predicted intention to be vaccinated in the 13 LAC countries. While most countries had a high prevalence of intention to be vaccinated, there are still subgroups that have levels of intention that may be insufficient to predict the presence of community immunity. In this sense, knowing the estimates of vaccination intention rates, as well as the associated sociodemographic and psychological factors, can be used to plan actions and interventions that will inform about the safety and benefits of vaccines, as well as strengthen trust in health authorities.

Cross-cultural validation of the new version of the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale in twelve Latin American countries

The Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) was recently developed to assess dysfunctional anxiety related to COVID-19. Although different studies reported that the CAS is psychometrically sound, it is unclear whether it is invariant across countries. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the measurement invariance of the CAS in twelve Latin American countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay). A total of 5196 people participated, with a mean age of 34.06 (SD = 26.54). Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine the measurement invariance of the CAS across countries and gender. Additionally, the graded response model (GRM) was used to provide a global representation of the representativeness of the scale with respect to the COVID-19 dysfunctional anxiety construct. The unidimensional structure of the five-item CAS was not confirmed in all countries. Therefore, it was suggested that a four-item model of the CAS (CAS-4) provides a better fit across the twelve countries and reliable scores. Multigroup CFA showed that the CAS-4 exhibits scalar invariance across all twelve countries and all genders. In addition, the CAS-4 items are more informative at average and high levels of COVID-19 dysfunctional anxiety than at lower levels. According to the results, the CAS-4 is an instrument with strong cross-cultural validity and is suitable for cross-cultural comparisons of COVID-19 dysfunctional anxiety symptoms in the general population of the twelve Latin American countries evaluated.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-021-02563-0.

Cross-Cultural Validation of a New Version in Spanish of Four Items of the Preventive COVID-19 Infection Behaviors Scale (PCIBS) in Twelve Latin American Countries

The invariance of the Preventive COVID-19 Infection Behaviors Scale (PCIBS) was evaluated in 12 Latin American countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay). A total of 5183 people from the aforementioned countries participated, selected using the snowball sampling method. Measurement invariance was assessed by multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA) and Multi-Group Factor Analysis Alignment (CFA-MIAL). In addition, item characteristics were assessed based on Item Response Theory. The results indicate that the original five-item version of the PCIBS is not adequate; whereas a four-item version of the PCIBS (PCIBS-4) showed a good fit in all countries. Thus, using the MG-CFA method, the PCIBS-4 achieved metric invariance, while the CFA-MIAL method indicated that the PCIBS-4 shows metric and scalar invariance. Likewise, the four items present increasing difficulties and high values in the discrimination parameters. The comparison of means of the PCIBS-4 reported irrelevant differences between countries; however, Mexico and Peru presented the highest frequency of preventive behaviors related to COVID-19. It is concluded that the PCIBS-4 is a unidimensional self-report measure which is reliable and invariant across the twelve participating Latin American countries. It is expected that the findings will be of interest to social and health scientists, as well as those professionals directly involved in public health decision making.

Strength of Religious Faith in Peruvian Adolescents and Adults: Psychometric Evidence from the Original and Short Versions of the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire in Spanish

The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric evidence of the original and short versions of the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire (SCSRFQ) in Spanish in a sample of 245 Peruvian adolescents and adults (mean age = 21.04 years, SD = 3.07, 47.8% male and 52.2% female), selected by nonprobabilistic convenience sampling. Additionally, the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale and the Satisfaction with Life Scale were applied. Confirmatory Factor Analysis, internal consistency reliability methods, hierarchical sequence of variance models, and a graded response model were used. Results indicate that both versions of the SCSRFQ showed robust psychometric properties: adequate unidimensional structure, adequate difficulty and discrimination parameters, and significant relationships with the measures of fear of COVID-19 and satisfaction with life. The original version of the SCSRFQ showed evidence of strict measurement invariance by sex and age, whereas the short version showed strict invariance by sex and configural invariance by age. Both versions showed acceptable reliability indices. In conclusion, the original and short versions of the SCSRFQ in Spanish show evidence of psychometric indicators that support their use to assess the strength of religious faith.

Sociodemographic and Psychological Predictors of Intention to Receive a COVID-19 Vaccine in Elderly Peruvians

The implementation of a vaccine against COVID-19 is one of the most important health strategies to mitigate the spread of the disease. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of the intention to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and its predictors in older Peruvian adults. This is a cross-sectional study, where information was collected through an online survey regarding vaccination intention of the participants, as well as sociodemographic and psychological variables. A multiple regression analysis was applied to identify predictors of intention to be vaccinated against COVID-19. We evaluated 245 participants, who had a mean age of 72.74 years old (SD = 6.66). 65.5% of these older adults expressed a high likelihood of accepting vaccination, while 20.9% expressed a low likelihood of accepting vaccination, and 13.6% were hesitant. Eleven predictors were identified that explained 66.69% of the intention to vaccinate against COVID-19. This identified place of residence, perceived likelihood of contracting COVID-19, severity of previous infection with COVID-19, fear of the disease, previous refusal of a vaccine, concerns about vaccine sales and speculation, and trust toward vaccines against COVID-19, as the main predictors. Our results show that confidence in vaccines and previous vaccine refusal are relevant predictors of intention to vaccinate against COVID-19 in older adults; these findings may be useful to guide the development of campaigns for the immunization of this vulnerable group in the current pandemic.

Assessment of Dysfunctional Grief due to Death from COVID-19 in Peru: Adaptation and Validation of a Spanish Version of the Pandemic Grief Scale

This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Pandemic Grief Scale (PGS), using Classical Test Theory (CTT) and Item Response Theory (IRT) methods, in a sample of 458 people who have suffered the loss of a loved one due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pandemic Grief Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2), the two-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-2), and a single item on suicidal ideation were used. The unidimensional model had good fit and reliability; furthermore, convergent validity was demonstrated based on the relationships between dysfunctional grief, anxiety symptoms, depression, and suicidal ideation. Additionally, a higher presence of dysfunctional grief is required to answer using the higher response categories. The evidence of validity and reliability of the PGS in its Spanish version, using traditional and modern methods, is confirmed in Peru.

Coronavirus Anxiety Scale: New psychometric evidence for the Spanish version based on CFA and IRT models in a Peruvian sample

The aim of the study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS), using Item Response Theory (IRT) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). The participants were 790 Peruvians, selected through a convenience sampling, where the majority were women. The CFA models indicated that the one-dimensional structure better represents the data, is reliable and invariant between men and women. Likewise, IRT findings indicate that CAS is more informative for high levels of COVID-19 anxiety. The CAS in Spanish has adequate psychometric properties to be used as a short measure of COVID-19 anxiety.

Ansiedad por Covid - 19 y salud mental en estudiantes universitarios

El objetivo de la presente investigación fue determinar la relación entre ansiedad por Covid - 19 y salud mental en 356 estudiantes universitarios (227 mujeres y 129 hombres, Medad = 22.36 años, DE = 2.46). Asimismo, se comparó la ansiedad por Covid - 19 y salud mental entre algunas variables sociodemográficas. Se aplicó la versión en español de la Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) y el Mental Health Inventory-5 (MHI). Los resultados muestran que una mayor ansiedad por COVID – 19 se relaciona con una disminución de la salud mental (ρ = −.67, p <.01). Asimismo, respecto a las comparaciones realizadas se evidencian diferencias estadísticamente significativas en función a las variables sociodemográficas previamente mencionadas. El estudio confirma que a mayor ansiedad por COVID – 19 menor salud mental en una muestra de estudiantes universitarios peruanos.

Traducción al español y validación de una medida breve de ansiedad por la COVID-19 en estudiantes de ciencias de la salud

Introducción y objetivos

Material y método

Resultados

Conclusión