Validation of the vaccination attitudes examination scale in a South African context in relation to the COVID-19 vaccine: quantifying dimensionality with bifactor indices.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic represented a global public health emergency. Existing studies support the view that vaccination and mass immunization are among the most effective means of containing the outbreak and promoting health. However, negative attitudes toward vaccination and the related vaccine hesitancy among many groups have created a significant barrier to effectively managing the health crisis. Having a valid and reliable tool to assess attitudes toward vaccination remains imperative so that factors underlying vaccine refusal can be identified and public health interventions can be facilitated. The current study examined the psychometric properties of the Vaccination Attitudes Examination Scale (VAX) in South Africa. METHODS: Participants (n = 322) completed the VAX. Confirmatory factor analysis and ancillary bifactor indices were used to examine the hypothesized factor structure (a total scale and four subscales) of the scale. Inter-item correlations, factor loadings, and average variance extracted were used to examine the validity of the scale. Predictive validity was examined by comparing those who had received the COVID-19 vaccine and those who had not. The reliability of the scale was examined in terms of both Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analysis provided support for the conceptualization of the scale as consisting of a total scale and four subscales, and ancillary bifactor indices indicated that the subscales accounted for a sufficient amount of variance (44%) after the variance explained by the total scale was considered. Overall, the analysis indicated that the scale had satisfactory reliability (alpha and composite reliability = 0.70) and provided evidence for the construct, convergent, and predictive validity of the VAX. CONCLUSIONS: The sound psychometric qualities of the scale, when used in a low- to middle-income country, have the potential to advance research and immunization policy within these settings and facilitate more targeted interventions to promote vaccine uptake.

Satisfied with Life? The Protective Function of Life Satisfaction in the Relationship between Perceived Stress and Negative Mental Health Outcomes.

Life satisfaction is a key index of well-being, yet few studies have examined its role as a protective factor in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The current study expands the research in this area through an examination of the role of life satisfaction in the relationship between perceived stress and negative indices of mental health. Participants were university students (N = 322) who completed the Perceived Stress Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and short forms of the trait scale of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Center for Epidemiological Depression Scale, and the Beck Hopelessness Scale. The results indicate that life satisfaction had a health-sustaining effect on indices of well-being. It also moderated the relationship between perceived stress, on the one hand, and anxiety and hopelessness, on the other hand. Further, life satisfaction played a partial mediating role in the relationship between perceived stress and indices of mental health. The findings suggest that life satisfaction could be a protective factor in the context of stressful life events. Cultivating life satisfaction through mindfulness training and the enhancement of gratitude could potentially sustain mental health.

We Are Not Islands: The Role of Social Support in the Relationship between Perceived Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Psychological Distress.

COVID-19 containment measures, including social distancing, quarantine, and confinement, significantly impacted social connectedness and contributed to heightened levels of perceived stress. Prior research has established that protective factors can mitigate emotional distress. This study investigated the protective role of social support in the relationship between perceived stress and psychological distress among a sample of university students. Participants (n = 322) completed the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Perceived Stress Scale, short forms of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, the trait scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Beck Hopelessness Scale. The results indicated that high levels of perceived stress were associated with high levels of hopelessness, depression, and anxiety. In terms of direct and mediating effects, social support was significant for depression and hopelessness but not for anxiety. Furthermore, the relationship between perceived stress and depression was higher for those with high levels of social support than for those with lower levels of social support. The findings suggest that in addition to enhancing social support resources, interventions must assist students in managing the uncertainty and anxiety associated with the pandemic. Furthermore, students' appraisals of support and the extent to which support is experienced as beneficial must also be examined prior to the implementation of interventions.

Perceived Vulnerability to Disease and the Relationship with Teacher Satisfaction in South Africa during COVID-19: The Serial Role of Burnout, Role Conflict, and Ambiguity.

Teachers' work roles and responsibilities have changed dramatically because of the COVID-19 pandemic. These unprecedented changes have the potential to generate role stress and burnout and reduce teachers' job satisfaction. This study investigated the serial relationship between perceived vulnerability to disease, role stress, burnout, and teaching satisfaction. It was hypothesised that individuals who perceive themselves to be at high risk of contracting COVID-19 would report high role conflict and ambiguity in the workplace, which would in turn lead to high levels of burnout and low satisfaction with teaching. Participants were schoolteachers (N = 355) who completed the Perceived Vulnerability to Disease Questionnaire, the Role Orientation Questionnaire, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and the Teaching Satisfaction Scale. Path analysis confirmed that perceived vulnerability to disease was associated with role conflict and ambiguity, which was in turn associated with emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and low teaching satisfaction. Teachers who appraised themselves as being more vulnerable to contracting COVID-19 experienced greater role stress, which was associated with high levels of burnout and low teaching satisfaction. This study highlights that threat appraisals related to contracting COVID-19 represent an additional job demand and this needs to be matched by job resources that can facilitate coping.

Adapting and Validating the Family Resilience Assessment Scale in an Afrikaans Rural Community in South Africa.

A family resilience framework understands families as having the potential to not only face adversities but to overcome them; although its measurement is not always agreed upon. The aim of this study is to explain the processes involved in the adaptation of the 54-item family resilience assessment scale into Afrikaans, and to further examine its psychometric properties. Data were collected via the door-to-door method with the assistance of fieldworkers in two rounds. The pilot sample included 82 participants whilst the larger study included 656 participants. The internal consistency and construct validity was assessed using Cronbach's alphas and Exploratory Factor Analysis implementing a Principal Component Analysis and Promax rotation, respectively. The factors which were found are similar to those of Sixbey's, however, a new factor emerged replacing Maintaining a positive outlook which was named Family and community outlook. The processes described in this study facilitated the assessment of the feasibility and efficiency of the full-scale study and reduced the number of unanticipated problems associated with large sample data collection particularly using fieldworkers.

The development of a family resilience-strengthening programme for families in a South African rural community.

The aim of this study was to develop a contextually based family resilience program. Also presented here is a literature review of family resilience interventions suggesting that these 3 processes are the basis for effective family functioning. A close collaboration with the community ensured an adequate understanding of the presenting family challenges and this article describes the process in developing a program based on these challenges. A 3-round Delphi design was used for the study with international and local experts (n = 10) in the field of family and resilience studies and community stakeholders (n = 5). The program has three main aims: to increase family connectedness, family communication processes and social and economic resources. Based on the findings of this study, 4 modules will be presented to participants, "about family," "talking together," "close together," and "working together." A description is provided of the program content and decisions regarding logistical program concerns.