Estudio de las propiedades psicométricas del Brief COPE para una muestra de mujeres uruguayas

Abstract

La escala Brief COPE (Carver, 1997) es la ampliamente utilizada versión abreviada del COPE inventory (Carver, Scheier, & Weintraub, 1989), que ha demostrado ser de utilidad para evaluar las estrategias de afrontamiento en investigaciones en salud. El Brief COPE-versión en español (Perczek, Carver, Price, & Pozo-Kaderman, 2000) consta de 12 subescalas compuestas por dos ítems cada una. Se estudian las propiedades psicométricas del Brief COPE, en su versión en castellano a partir del estudio en una muestra de 203 mujeres adultas pertenecientes a la población general uruguaya. El Análisis Factorial Exploratorio, analizando los ítems, indica la existencia de 4 factores para la muestra estudiada. La agrupación resultó considerablemente coincidente con la reportada por los autores de la escala. Fiabilidad y evidencias de validez obtenidas con el Brief COPE para la presente muestra avalan su uso en el ámbito de la investigación en población del sexo femenino en Uruguay.

Psychometric properties of the Brief-COPE for the evaluation of coping strategies in the Chilean population

“…Model 3 corresponds to the results of the exploratory factor analysis performed on a Mexican sample by Ornelas et al (2013), this version was composed of 17 items and the authors identified 7 factors. Finally, model 4 is based on the results of the exploratory factor analysis performed on Uruguayan sample by Reich et al (2016); in this case, the authors used 24 items and identified 4 factors. As can be observed in Table 2, the model which obtained the best fit was model 1, which was composed of 28 items corresponding to 14 original factors of the Brief-COPE.…”

“…In order to evaluate the construct validity of the scale, we first conducted a confirmatory factorial analysis (CFA) with maximum likelihood estimation, trying to test four different models: original theoretical structure (Carver, 1997), and the exploratory factorial structures found in other studies carried out in Latin America, specifically in Chile (Alveal and Barraza, 2015), Mexico (Ornelas et al 2013), and Uruguay (Reich et al 2016).…”

“…The maladaptive dimension includes rigid dysfunctional approach coping (rumination, venting/ emotional discharge, and confrontation) and rigid maladaptive avoidance, based on abandonment, social isolation, inhibition, and emotional suppression (Connor-Smith and Flachsbart, 2007). For instance, religion has been considered in some studies as a maladaptive strategy (Reich, Costa-Ball, and Remor, 2016), whereas in other studies appears with an adaptive value (García, Páez, Cartes, Neira, and Reyes, 2014). Park et al (2004) pointed out that problem-focused strategies are appropriate if the stressor is controllable, whereas emotion-focused strategies are suitable if the stressor seems uncontrollable.…”

“…Finally, in Uruguay, Reich et al (2016) performed an exploratory factor analysis of the instrument, with 203 adult females belonging to the general population. They found that the 24 items were grouped into four factors: (a) self-distraction, humor, an item of positive reframing, Table 1 Comparative summary of factor analytic findings using the Brief-COPE in Ibero-American population (n = 1847) and an item of venting, (b) denial, behavioral disengagement, acceptance and an item of venting, (c) substance use and religion, and (d) active coping, planning, emotional support and an item of positive reframing.…”

“…First, they performed only exploratory factorial analysis or principal component analysis. And second, the samples were relatively small, two of those studies explored coping strategies of people affected by stressful situations (Alveal and Barraza, 2015;Reich et al 2016), and one used a sample of women diagnosed with cancer (Ornelas et al 2013). Hence, we consider that it is necessary to evaluate the proposed factor structures through a confirmatory factorial analysis and in a large sample in order to be able to provide a robust version of the Brief-COPE scale for its use in Latin American.…”