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Background
Keywords
Findings
Authors
What is already known on this subject?
What does this study add?

Background

The Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) social support scale is a 19-item survey that measures four dimensions of functional support. The current study reports on the psychometric properties, factorial structure, and measurement invariance of the scale for a sample of English- and French-speaking Canadians aged 55 or older.

Data and methods

The internal consistency and composite reliability for a congeneric measurement model of the dimensions of functional social support were examined. A confirmatory factor analysis and test of invariance across language (English = 2,642; French = 489) were also performed.

Results

Across both English- and French-speaking respondents, results indicated good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha ranged from .90 to .97) and composite reliability (ranging from .93 to .97) for all dimensions of functional social support. The confirmatory factor analysis revealed acceptable fit indices for the 4-factor structure similar to the original one. The scale appears to function uniformly across both language groups.

Interpretation

The MOS social support scale appears to be a psychometrically sound instrument for use in research on social support with samples of English- and French-speaking older adults

Keywords

aging, data analysis, data collection, empirical research, factor analysis, geriatrics, language, questionnaires, social environment, statistical models

Findings

Social support plays an important role in successful aging, physical health, mortality, and mental health. Very broadly, it can be defined as the help furnished by an individual's social network, such as the provision of information, financial aid or emotional support. To understand the association between specific types of social support and mental and physical health, it is recommended that researchers use measures that include as many dimensions as possible and focus on types of support that have been related to positive health outcomes. [Full Text]

Authors

Annie Robitaille (1-613-907-1065; annie.g.robitaille@gmail.com) is with the Centre on Aging, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia. Heather Orpana is with the School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario. Cameron N. McIntosh is with Public Safety Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

What is already known on this subject?

  • The Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) social support scale is a 19-item scale that measures four dimensions of functional social support.
  • Because it is brief, easy to understand, and was developed to minimize respondent burden, it is especially suited for older respondents.
  • Information about whether the social support scale functions equally for English- and French-speaking respondents is lacking.

What does this study add?

  • The MOS social support scale is an appropriate measure to use with a sample of English- and French-speaking Canadians aged 55 or older.
  • This study provides further evidence that the scale measures four dimensions of functional support.
  • The MOS social support scale appears to function uniformly among English- and French-speaking respondents.