Translation and psychometric validation of the Spanish version of the Demand-Control-Support Questionnaire (DCSQ) for nursing professionals.

AIM

To translate and psychometrically validate the Demand-Control-Support Questionnaire for nurses in Spain.

BACKGROUND

Nurses are one of the groups most affected by work-related stress. The combination of high job demands and low control is identified as the main source of stress among nurses. The Demand-Control-Support Questionnaire is a valid and reliable tool for assessing psychosocial stress in the workplace.

METHODS

A two-phase cross-sectional descriptive study. The instrument was translated according to Sousa and Rojjanasrirat guidelines, including forward and backward translations, consensus meetings, pilot testing and expert committee. Structural validity, convergent and discriminative validity, internal consistency and test-retest reliability were assessed in a sample of 247 nurses.

RESULTS

Exploratory factor analysis verified a three-factor solution with good internal consistency (Cronbach's α values ranged from 0.62 to 0.87) and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.65 to 0.85).

CONCLUSIONS

The Spanish version of the Demand-Control-Support Questionnaire seems to be a brief, valid and reliable instrument to measure psychosocial stress in the workplace in nurses.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

The use of the Demand-Control-Support Questionnaire can be of value to inform the design and implementation of appropriate management strategies to foster a more favourable work environment that promotes the well-being of professionals.