Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Arabic Medical Outcomes Study-Social Support Survey-6 among Saudi Adults.

BACKGROUND

Perceived social support represents a key factor influencing both mental and physical health, yet brief Arabic measures are scarce.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the abbreviated 6-item Medical Outcomes Study-Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS-6) among Saudi adults.

METHODS

An online questionnaire was distributed via social media platforms to assess perceived social support, psychological distress, quality of life (QoL), and coping. Cronbach's alpha (α), McDonald's omega (ω), and corrected item-total correlations were used to evaluate the scale's reliability. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted on 50% of the sample, using maximum likelihood with varimax rotation to identify factor structure. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) validated the model in the other 50%, with fit assessed through RMSEA, SRMR, CFI, TLI, and other indices. Concurrent validity was evaluated through Pearson's correlations with relevant psychological measures.

RESULTS

A total of 1028 Saudi adults completed the questionnaire. Suitability of the data for EFA was supported by a strong KMO value (0.83) and significant Bartlett's test of sphericity ( < 0.001). Parallel analysis indicated that a three-factor solution was optimal, explaining 80% of the variance. CFA confirmed this model with excellent fit indices (CFI = 0.99, TLI = 0.98, RMSEA = 0.07, SRMR = 0.02, GFI = 0.99, AGFI = 0.95). Negative relationships with depression ( = -0.24, < 0.01) and anxiety ( = -0.17, < 0.01), and a positive correlation with QoL ( = 0.37, < 0.01) and adaptive coping strategies provided evidence for concurrent validity. The Arabic MOS-SSS-6 exhibited high internal consistency (α = 0.90, ω = 0.90).

CONCLUSIONS

The Arabic MOS-SSS-6 is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring perceived social support among Saudi adults, demonstrating significant correlations with psychological variables relevant for psychological assessments and interventions.