Confiabilidad y consistencia interna de la escala Soporte Social de California para medir soporte social en personas mayores en Chile

Dolly Paiva-Zuazánabar; Marco Antonio Galván; José Vicente Villalobos-Antúnez

doi:10.31637/epsir-2026-2930

Authors

Dolly Paiva-Zuazánabar Universidad SEK https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7936-5592
Marco Antonio Galván Universidad SEK https://orcid.org/0009-0008-1971-742X
José Vicente Villalobos-Antúnez Universidad SEK https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3406-5000

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31637/epsir-2026-2930

Keywords:

Social Support Scale, reliability and internal consistency, Older people, Mental health, Factor analysis, Social intervention in Chile.

Abstract

Introduction: Social support is a key factor for the mental health and well-being of older people, especially after the impact of the pandemic. Its adequate measurement is essential for the design of effective social interventions. The California Social Support Scale assesses support received and perceived through 11 items in objective and subjective dimensions. Methodology: The study was developed in two phases. First, test-retest reliability was evaluated in 30 people over 60 years of age. Subsequently, internal consistency and factor validity were analyzed in a sample of 1,005 elderly people from eleven regions of Chile, using Pearson and Spearman correlations, Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's omega and exploratory factor analysis. Results: The scale was highly reliable (Pearson=0.981; Spearman=0.982) and acceptable internal consistency (α=0.762; ω=0.776). The factor analysis confirmed a two-dimensional structure that explained 42.5% of the total variance. Discussion: The results support the theoretical and practical validity of the instrument, highlighting that social support integrates objective components and subjective perceptions built throughout the life cycle. Conclusions: The scale is a valid and reliable instrument to measure social support in older people in Chile, providing evidence to support social intervention strategies with greater impact.

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Author Biographies

Dolly Paiva-Zuazánabar, Universidad SEK

Social Worker, Diploma in Advanced Studies in Education from the University of Seville, Spain. International Master's Degree in Social Pedagogy Sciences from the Catholic University of Santiago de Guayaquil in alliance with the University of Applied Sciences of Dusseldorf in Germany – Universidad Mayor de San Andrés de La Paz in Bolivia and Universidad Santo Tomás de Santiago de Chile and Master of Teaching in Social Work, The Catholic University of America. She currently serves as Head of the Social Work Career at SEK University, Chile, having held academic positions such as Director of Postgraduate Studies, Director of Professional and Technical Fields, Director of the Academic Advisory Council, Head of Career, among others. With vast experience in higher education for 45 years, he has specialized in research in social sciences and published several articles in his area. She is currently the Director of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Applied Social Research [NIISA] of the Social Work Degree at SEK University. He stands out for his academic leadership and promotion of educational programs in higher education both in undergraduate and postgraduate studies.

Marco Antonio Galván, Universidad SEK

An economist with postgraduate qualifications in social programmes. She has experience at ECLAC, where she has worked on issues relating to the labour market, poverty, inequality and the impact assessment of programmes through the analysis of indicators. Her work has focused on studying the relationship between these factors and housing conditions, household size and educational attainment, providing key insights into social policy and human development.

José Vicente Villalobos-Antúnez, Universidad SEK

Jurist and Philosopher, Doctor of Law and with post-doctorates in human sciences, higher education, management and public policies. PhD © in Philosophy. PhD © in Political Science. Professor Emeritus at the University of Zulia and full professor at SEK University. Researcher and scientific editor since 1994 in various countries. Tutor of doctoral, master's and undergraduate theses. His lines of research include ethics, epistemology, philosophy of education, philosophy of law, political philosophy, bioethics and research methodology. Internationally recognized active researcher

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