Measurement Invariance and Construct Validity of the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) in Community Volunteers in Vietnam

Willem A. Arrindell, Irene Checa, Begoña Espejo, I-Hua Chen, Danilo Carrozzino, Phuong Vu-Bich, Huong Dambach and Paula Vagos
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Willem A. Arrindell: Faculty of Psychology, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University-HCM, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam
Irene Checa: Department of Behavioral Sciences Methodology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
Begoña Espejo: Department of Behavioral Sciences Methodology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
I-Hua Chen: Chinese Academy of Education Big Data, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China
Danilo Carrozzino: Department of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari”, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy
Phuong Vu-Bich: Faculty of Psychology, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University-HCM, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam
Huong Dambach: Faculty of Psychology, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University-HCM, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam
Paula Vagos: Instituto de Desenvolvimento Humano Portucalense, Universidade Portucalense Infante D. Henrique, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 6, 1-16

Abstract: Worldwide, the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) has become the most widely used measure of life satisfaction. Recently, an authorized Vietnamese-language version has been introduced. Using a convenience sample comprising community volunteers from Ho Chi Minh City (N = 1073), confirmatory support was found for the cross-national constancy of the one-dimensional structure underlying the SWLS. Corrected item–total polyserial correlations and Omega coefficient were satisfactory. Using multi-group confirmatory factor analysis, configural, metric, and scalar invariance of the SWLS factorial structure were tested by gender, age, marital status, income, and educational level. Strong evidence of scalar invariance was found for gender and education, on which relevant subgroups did not differ in terms of latent means. Partial scalar invariance was found for marital status (item 4 and 5) and income (item 4). Being involved in an intimate relationship or having a higher income were associated with higher latent means. Scalar invariance in relation to age was very poor. Accordingly, caution must be exerted when comparing age groups. A high SWLS score was predictive of good self-rated health. Implications of the findings are briefly discussed.

Keywords: Satisfaction With Life Scale; subjective well-being; measurement invariance; confirmatory factor analysis; health status; marital status; income; Vietnamese population (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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