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Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Psychometric Properties of the Multidimensional Acculturative Stress Scale

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Australian Psychologist

Published online on

Abstract

Objective The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Acculturative Stress Scale (MASS) when used to examine the stressors faced by senior Asian Indian women immigrants in Australia. Method Data collected from a sample of Asian Indian women immigrants residing in Sydney, Australia, were used to examine the psychometric properties of the MASS using confirmatory factor analysis. Results A total of 203 Indian women immigrants with an average age of 66.11 years [standard deviation (SD) ± 9.60; range 50–90) participated in the study. The majority of the participants were born in India (n = 142; 70%) and their length of stay in Australia was between 1 month and 42 years. The original 24‐item, five‐factor MASS structure was confirmed, and the model showed a good fit to the data: comparative fit index = 0.93; root mean square error of approximation = 0.06; and standardised root mean square residual = 0.08. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the five subscales ranged from 0.80 to 0.93 and was 0.91 for the overall scale demonstrating high internal consistency. Conclusions The findings confirm the factor structure and reliability of the MASS for assessing acculturative stress among female Asian Indian immigrants. However, scale development is an iterative process and further testing in other contexts is recommended.