Psychometric properties of the short-form UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS-8) among Chinese adolescents

To evaluate social support and loneliness as well as their association among caregivers of children with chronic kidney disease (CKD) from China during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We collected data for caregivers of children with CKD and caregivers of healthy children and matched the two groups using propensity score matching (PSM). We compared the differences in social support and loneliness between the two groups after matching and analyzed the relationship between social support and loneliness in the observation group. Before PSM, we analyzed the data for 247 caregivers of children with CKD and 315 caregivers of healthy children from 13 provinces. After PSM, the two groups each included 202 caregivers. The social support score of caregivers of children with CKD was lower than that of caregivers of healthy children (P < 0.002), while the loneliness score was higher for caregivers of children with CKD than for caregivers of healthy children (P < 0.008). The social support score was negatively correlated with the loneliness score (r = −0.598, P < 0.001). Caregivers of children with CKD experienced less social support and greater loneliness than caregivers of healthy children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, greater attention should be paid to providing social support for caregivers of CKD children and to improving the ability of these caregivers to cope with loneliness.

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“…A higher total score indicates a higher level of loneliness. The Cronbach's α for this scale in this study is 0.848 ( 26 ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 56%

Social Support and Loneliness Among Chinese Caregivers of Children With Chronic Kidney Disease During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis

et al. 2021

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“…The Cronbach α of this scale in this study was 0.881. Loneliness was measured using the short from of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale (ULS-8) [ 27 ], which was adapted by Hays and DiMatteo in 1987 on the basis of UCLA-20 [ 28 ]. This scale contains 8 items and the total score ranges from 8 to 32, with higher scores indicating higher levels of loneliness.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of the COVID-19 Epidemic on Lifestyle Behaviors and Their Association With Subjective Well-Being Among the General Population in Mainland China: Cross-Sectional Study

Zhao¹,

Lin²,

Kaminga³

et al. 2020

J Med Internet Res

150

122

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Background The world is experiencing an unprecedented challenge due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. However, it is unclear whether people’s lifestyles will change as a result. Objective The aim of this study is to explore perceived lifestyle changes after the outbreak of COVID-19 and their association with subjective well-being (SWB) among the general population in Mainland China. Methods An online survey was conducted in May 2020. Lifestyle behaviors including leisure-time physical exercise, leisure-time screen time, and dietary intake were self-reported. SWB was measured using the General Wellbeing Schedule (GWS). Other covariates including sociodemographic factors, self-rated physical health, perceived social support, and loneliness were also assessed by a structured questionnaire. A multivariate ordinal regression method was used to analyze the association between SWB and lifestyle behaviors as well as perceived lifestyle changes. Results A total of 1033 participants aged between 18 and 60 years were included in this study. The mean GWS score was 71.7 points. About 70% of the respondents reported spending more time looking at screens, whereas about 30% reported an increased frequency of vegetable and fruit intake after the outbreak of COVID-19. Inactive physical exercise (odds ratio [OR] 1.16, 95% CI 1.02-1.48), infrequent vegetable intake (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.10-1.90), infrequent fruit intake (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.01-1.70), and often skipping breakfast (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.08-1.91) were associated with lower SWB after adjusting for sociodemographic factors, self-rated physical health, perceived social support, and loneliness. Moreover, participants who perceived a decrease in the frequency of vegetable, fruit, and breakfast intake were more likely to report lower SWB. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic may have positive and negative impacts on different aspects of lifestyle behaviors. Both unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and negative lifestyle changes were associated with lower SWB. These findings provide scientific evidence that can inform lifestyle guidelines and public mental health interventions during the COVID-19 outbreak.

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“…Loneliness was assessed using three items from the UCLA Loneliness Scale, version 3 (Russell 1996). These items were extensively tested in large sample surveys using population-based samples, and they displayed excellent psychometric properties for assessing loneliness concisely across both Chinese-and English-speaking samples (e.g., Hughes et al 2004;Xu et al 2018). All three items are rated on a 4-point Likert scale: 1 ("never"), 2 ("rarely"), 3 ("sometimes"), and 4 ("often").…”

Section: Three-item Loneliness Scalementioning

confidence: 99%

Measurement and Conceptualization of Gaming Disorder According to the World Health Organization Framework: the Development of the Gaming Disorder Test

Pontes

Schivinski

Sindermann

et al. 2019

Int J Ment Health Addiction

179

158

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Previous research on gaming disorder (GD) has highlighted key methodological and conceptual hindrances stemming from the heterogeneity of nomenclature and the use of nonstandardized psychometric tools to assess this phenomenon. The recent recognition of GD as an official mental health disorder and behavioral addiction by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) opens up new possibilities to investigate further the psychosocial and mental health implications due to excessive and disordered gaming. However, before further research on GD can be conducted in a reliable way and within a robust cross-cultural context, a valid and reliable standardized psychometric tool to assess the construct as defined by the WHO should be developed. The aim of this study was to develop The Gaming Disorder Test (GDT), a brief four-item measure to assess GD and to further explore its psychometric properties. A sample of 236 Chinese (47% male, mean age 19.22 years, SD = 1.57) and 324 British (49.4% male, mean age 26.74 years, SD = 7.88) gamers was recruited online. Construct validity of the GDT was examined via factorial validity, nomological validity, alongside convergent and discriminant validity. Concurrent validity was also examined using the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short-Form (IGDS9-SF). Finally, reliability indicators involving the Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability coefficients were estimated. Overall, the results indicated that GDT is best conceptualized within a single-factor structure. Additionally, the four items of the GDT are valid, reliable, and proved to be highly suitable for measuring GD within a cross-cultural context.

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Psychometric properties of the short-form UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS-8) among Chinese adolescents

Cited by 52 publications

References 30 publications

Social Support and Loneliness Among Chinese Caregivers of Children With Chronic Kidney Disease During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis

Social Support and Loneliness Among Chinese Caregivers of Children With Chronic Kidney Disease During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis

Impact of the COVID-19 Epidemic on Lifestyle Behaviors and Their Association With Subjective Well-Being Among the General Population in Mainland China: Cross-Sectional Study

Measurement and Conceptualization of Gaming Disorder According to the World Health Organization Framework: the Development of the Gaming Disorder Test

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