Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Psychometric Properties of the Medical Outcome Study Social Support Survey with a General Population Sample of Undergraduate Students

  • Published:
Social Indicators Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Among non-clinical populations, perceived social support is an important factor in health maintenance and well-being. Among measures that purport to assess perceived social support, the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS) is based on a strong conceptual framework and has been subjected to a rigorous psychometric evaluation. Since no studies have investigated its psychometric properties with a young, non-clinical population, the purpose of this study is to investigate the psychometric properties (construct validity, internal consistency, and test–retest reliability) of an Italian version of the MOS-SSS with a non-clinical population sample. A convenience sample of 485 undergraduate students (73.0 % female; mean age = 21.81 ± 1.52) has been recruited. With regards to scale dimensionality, the best fit measurement model found support for the four subscales proposed by the original version: emotional and informational support, tangible support, positive social interactions, and affectionate support (χ 2/df = 4.49; CFI = .92; TLI = .91; RMSEA = .08). MOS-SSS subscales showed good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha for the subscales ranged from .848 to .939). Significant correlations were found with measures of psychological well-being (Ryff’s Scales of Psychological Well-Being) and depression (Beck-Depression Inventory-II). Test–retest stability was tested by examining a subsample (N = 225) over a 10-week period (correlation coefficients for the subscales ranged from .502 to .579). The findings suggest that MOS-SSS presents good psychometric characteristics with a young general population sample. Therefore, the MOS-SSS seems to be a psychometrically sound measure for the evaluation of perceived social support among young non-clinical populations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alonso Fachado, A., Montes Martinez, A., Menendez Villalva, C., & Pereira, M. G. (2007). Cultural adaptation and validation of the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey questionnaire (MOS-SSS). Acta Medica Portuguesa, 20(6), 525–534.

    Google Scholar 

  • Argyle, M., & Lu, L. (1990). The happiness of extraverts. Personality and Individual Differences, 11, 1011–1017.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beck, A. T., Steer, R. A., & Brown, G. K. (1996). Manual for the Beck Depression Inventory-II. San Antonio, TX: Pearson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bentler, P. M. (1995). EQS structural equations program manual. Encino, CA: Multivariate Software.

    Google Scholar 

  • Browne, M. W., & Cudeck, R. (1993). Alternative ways of assessing model fit. In K. A. Bollen & J. S. Long (Eds.), Testing structural equation models (pp. 136–162). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chou, K. L. (1999). Social support and subjective well-being among Hong Kong Chinese young adults. The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 160(3), 319–331.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, S. (1988). Psychosocial models of the role of social support in the etiology of physical disease. Health Psychology, 7(3), 269–297.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, S., Gottlieb, B., & Underwood, L. (2000). Theoretical and historical perspectives. In S. Cohen, L. Underwood, & B. Gottlieb (Eds.), Social support measurement and intervention: A guide for health and social scientists (pp. 3–28). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, S., & Wills, T. A. (1985). Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin, 98, 310–357.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, H., Okamura, L., & Gurka, V. (1992). Social activity and subjective well-being. Personality and Individual Differences, 13(5), 573–583.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Darbyshire, L. V., & Stenfert Kroese, B. (2012). Psychological well-being and social support for parents with intellectual disabilities: Risk factors and interventions. Journal of Police and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 9(1), 40–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Leeuw, J. R., De Graeff, A., Ros, W. J., Hordijk, G. J., Blijham, G. H., & Winnubst, J. A. (2000). Negative and positive influences of social support on depression in patients with head and neck cancer: a prospective study. Psycho-Oncology, 9(1), 20–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2002). Very happy people. Psychological Science, 13(1), 81–84.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gallagher, E. N., & Vella-Brodrick, D. A. (2008). Social support and emotional intelligence as predictors of subjective well-being. Personality and Individual Differences, 44(7), 1551–1561.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ghisi, M., Flebus, G. B., Montano, A., Sanavio, E., & Sica, C. (2006). Beck depression inventory II. Manuale. Firenze: Giunti O.S.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gülaçti, F. (2010). The effect of perceived social support on subjective well-being. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2(2), 3844–3849.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heinonen, H., Volin, L., Uutela, A., Zevon, M., Barrick, C., & Ruutu, T. (2001). Quality of life and factors related to perceived satisfaction with quality of life after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Annals of Hematology, 80(3), 137–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Helgeson, V. S., & Cohen, S. (1996). Social support and adjustment to cancer: Reconciling descriptive, correlational, and intervention research. Health Psychology, 15(2), 135–148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kahn, J. H., Hessling, R. M., & Russell, D. W. (2003). Social support, health and well-being among elderly: What is the role of negative affectivity? Personality and Individual Difference, 35(1), 5–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karademas, E. C. (2006). Self-efficacy, social support and well-being. The mediating role of optimism. Personality and Individual Differences, 40, 1281–1290.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kline, R. B. (2005). Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kornblith, A. B., Herndon, J. E, 2nd, Weiss, R. B., Zhang, C., Zuckerman, E. L., Rosenberg, S., et al. (2003). Long-term adjustment of survivors of early-stage breast carcinoma, 20 years after adjuvant chemotherapy. Cancer, 98(4), 679–689.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malecki, K. C., & Demaray, M. K. (2003). What type of support do they need? Investigating student adjustment as related to emotional, informational, appraisal, and instrumental support. School Psychology Quarterly, 18(3), 231–252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pujazon-Zazik, M., & Park, M. J. (2010). To tweet, or not to tweet: gender differences and potential positive and negative health outcomes of adolescents’ social internet use. American Journal of Men’s Health, 4(1), 77–85.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruini, C., Ottolini, F., Ravanelli, C., Ryff, C., & Fava, G. A. (2003). La validazione italiana delle Psychological Well-Being Scales (PWB). Rivista di psichiatria, 38(3), 117–130.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryff, C. D. (1989). Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57(6), 1069–1081.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarason, I. G., Levine, H., Basham, R., & Sarason, B. R. (1983). Assessing social support: The social support questionnaire. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 44, 127–139.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schaefer, C., Coyne, J. C., & Lazarus, R. S. (1981). The health related functions of social support. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 4(4), 381–406.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Semmer, N. K., Norbert, K., Elfering, A., Jacobshagen, N., Perrot, T., Beehr, T. A., et al. (2008). The emotional meaning of instrumental social support. International Journal of Stress Management, 15(3), 235–251.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sherbourne, C. D., & Stewart, A. L. (1991). The MOS social support survey. Social Science and Medicine, 32(6), 705–714.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shyu, Y. L., Tang, W. R., Liang, J., & Weng, L. J. (2006). Psychometric testing of the MOS social support survey on a Taiwanese sample. Nursing Research, 55(6), 411–417.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sica, C., & Ghisi, M. (2007). The Italian versions of the beck anxiety inventory and the beck depression inventory- II: Psychometric properties and discriminant power. In M. A. Lange (Ed.), Leading-edge psychological tests and testing (pp. 27–50). New York, NY: Nova Science Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Siewert, K., Antoniw, K., Kubiak, T., & Weber, H. (2011). The more the better? The relationship between mismatches in social support and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Health Psychology, 16(8), 621–631.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stansfeld, S. A., Fuhrer, R., & Shipley, M. J. (1998). Types of social support as predictors of psychiatric morbidity in a cohort of British Civil Servants (Whitehall II Study). Psychological Medicine, 28(4), 881–892.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steiger, J. H. (1990). Structural model evaluation and modification: An interval estimation approach. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 25, 173–180.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, S. E. (2011). Social support: A Review. In M. S. Friedman (Ed.), The handbook of health psychology (pp. 189–214). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thoits, P. A. (1982). Conceptual, methodological and theoretical problems in studying social support as a buffer against life stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 23, 145–159.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tucker, L. R., & Lewis, C. (1973). A reliability coefficient for maximum likelihood factor analysis. Psychometrika, 38, 1–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Uchino, B. N. (2006). Social support and health: A review of physiological processes potentially underlying links to disease outcomes. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 29(4), 377–387.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vaux, A., Riedel, S., & Stewart, D. (1987). Models of social support: The social support behaviors (SS-B) scales. American Journal of Community Psychology, 15(2), 209–232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Webster, J., Nicholas, C., Velacott, C., Cridland, N., & Fawcett, L. (2011). Quality of life and depression following childbirth: impact of social support. Midwifery, 27(5), 745–749.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Westaway, M. S., Seager, J. R., Rheeder, P., & Van Zyl, D. G. (2005). The effects of social support on health, well-being and management of diabetes mellitus: A Black South African perspective. Ethnicity & Health, 10(1), 73–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu, D. S. F., Lee, D. T. F., & Woo, J. (2004). Psychometric testing of the Chinese version of the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS-C). Research in Nursing & Health, 27, 135–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zaghdoudi, L., El Moubarkim, A., Halayem, S., Ben Bechir, M., & Labbane, R. (2009). Relation entre styles d’attachement, perception du soutien social et dépression. Annales Médico-psychologiques, revue psychiatrique, 167(9), 657–661.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhong, L. F. (2009). Academic stress and subjective well-being: The moderating effects of perceived social support. Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management, 1321–1324. http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=5344424. Accessed 13 March 2012.

  • Zimet, G. D., Dahlem, N. W., Zimet, S. G., & Farley, G. K. (1988). The multidimensional scale of perceived social support. Journal of Personality Assessment, 52, 30–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Sciences, Psychology and Psychiatry Unit, University of Florence, via di San Salvi, 12, 50100, Florence, Italy

    Barbara Giangrasso & Silvia Casale

Authors
  1. Barbara Giangrasso
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Silvia Casale
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Silvia Casale.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Giangrasso, B., Casale, S. Psychometric Properties of the Medical Outcome Study Social Support Survey with a General Population Sample of Undergraduate Students. Soc Indic Res 116, 185–197 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-013-0277-z

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-013-0277-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation