Psychometric properties of the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS): secondary analysis of the Mexican Health and Aging Study

Abstract

BackgroundThe Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) has been widely used and has proven to be a valid and reliable instrument for assessing satisfaction with life in diverse population groups, however, research on satisfaction with life and validation of different measuring instruments in Mexican adults is still lacking. The objective was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) in a representative sample of Mexican adults.MethodsThis is a methodological study to evaluate a satisfaction with life scale in a sample of 13,220 Mexican adults 50 years of age or older from the 2012 Mexican Health and Aging Study. The scale’s reliability (internal consistency) was analysed using Cronbach’s alpha and inter-item correlations. An exploratory factor analysis was also performed. Known-groups validity was evaluated comparing good-health and bad-health participants. Comorbidity, perceived financial situation, self-reported general health, depression symptoms, and social support were included to evaluate the validity between these measures and the total score of the scale using Spearman’s correlations.ResultsThe analysis of the scale’s reliability showed good internal consistency (α = 0.74). The exploratory factor analysis confirmed the existence of a unique factor structure that explained 54% of the variance. SWLS was related to depression, perceived health, financial situation, and social support, and these relations were all statistically significant (P < .01). There was significant difference in life satisfaction between the good- and bad-health groups.ConclusionsResults show good internal consistency and construct validity of the SWLS. These results are comparable with results from previous studies. Meeting the study’s objective to validate the scale, the results show that the Spanish version of the SWLS is a reliable and valid measure of satisfaction with life in the Mexican context.

Abstinence from social media use, subjective well‐being, stress, and loneliness

“…36,39 Moreover, it has satisfactory test-retest reliability and adequate internal consistency, which typically ranges from .74 to .87. 36,37,39,40 In the current study, Cronbach's α was good and stood at .84.…”

“…The SWLS has been shown to possess multimethod concurrent validity with other well‐being constructs, including an association with Facebook usage and a negative association with measures of psychopathology . Moreover, it has satisfactory test‐retest reliability and adequate internal consistency, which typically ranges from .74 to .87 . In the current study, Cronbach's α was good and stood at .84.…”

Rasch analysis of the Satisfaction with Life Scale across countries: Findings from South Africa and Italy

“…Although the internal consistency, reliability and validity of the SWLS were extensively supported (Diener et al 1985;Diener 1993, 2008;Vassar 2008), important issues were raised about the scale"s dimensionality. While some studies supported the initially intended one-factor structure (e.g., Lorenzo-Seva et al 2019;Ortuño-Sierra et al 2019;López-Ortega et al 2016), other ones suggested the presence of a temporal dimension, requiring the distinction between satisfaction with the present and past life (e.g., Bai et al 2011;Clench-Aas et al 2011). In addition, investigating the sensitivity of the SWLS along the latent trait continuum is of fundamental importance, considering that the scale is often used to evaluate change, impact, and progress on individual and societal levels.…”

Satisfaction with life of oncology nurses in Poland

“…It promotes activity and better coping with difficult situations (López‐Ortega et al. ). In other words, satisfaction with life is a result of a balance between the current situation and personal norms (Loewe et al.…”

“…Satisfaction with life is an overall assessment of the life satisfaction of a given person with regard to personal standards. It promotes activity and better coping with difficult situations (L opez-Ortega et al 2016). In other words, satisfaction with life is a result of a balance between the current situation and personal norms (Loewe et al 2014).…”