Validation of sense of coherence (SOC) 13-item scale in a peruvian sample

This study assessed the psychometric properties of the SOC-13 scale in a sample of 448 Peruvian college students aged 18-29 years old. Internal consistency reliability was estimated; criterion validity and factor structure analysis were also analyzed. Cronbach's alpha for the full scale was .80. The dimensional structure of the SOC was evaluated by means of Multidimensional Scaling and Confirmatory Factor Analysis. The former assessed goodness of fit of two proposed structure models namely a one factor solution against a three factor solution. An acceptable model fit was found for the three-factor solution (RMSEA = 0.06, CFI = .92). SOC Correlations with Mental and Physical Health were r = .59, p < .001 and r = .40, p < .001 respectively. The SOC-13 scale showed appropriate psychometric properties regarding internal consistency, criterion validity and factor structure when tested in this Peruvian sample. Limitations were due to strong homogeneity within the sample, age range and non-representative sample size for all Peruvian population. Future studies should focus on further analyzing the SOC-13 structure and the ability of all items to properly measure Sense of Coherence in Peruvian young adults.