Standardization of Social Support Scale (MOS) of Adults who have Chronic Diseases in Ilam, 2015

In this cross-sectional study to assess the reliability and validity of the Social Support Scale MOS,one of the social factors determining health which refers to the importance of the human social dimension and has gained increasing attention in recent years is social support. Due to evidence regarding positive effects of social support on various psychological, physical, cognitive and social aspects of individuals and its influence on various occupational and educational areas and eventually the role of social support in recovery from ,some psychological and physical ailments, in this study, the psychometry of this scale has been evaluated in adult patients with chronic disease in the city of Ilam.
The tool used in this study was the social support scale which has 19 items each of which has 5 choices scored from 1 to 5. Sample size was estimated at 384 individuals and for increased precision; it has been increased to 400 people. To evaluate reliability of the test, Cronbach’s alpha was calculated and concurrent validity determination and factor analysis were also performed. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used and data was analyzed using SPSS version 20 software.
Findings: The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the social support scale was 0.96 which shows precision and sensitivity of the scale for measuring these qualities. The scores of the social support scale and mental health regarding constituents overlapped and have the ability to evaluate constructs and concepts Meaningful relation exists between various items of the social support scale and total score. These coefficients show the presence of strong correlation between the questions and overall score which shows internal consistency and convergent validity. Results of factor analysis shows confirmation of 2 from 5 factors of the social support scale. The first factor is named affectionate support, kindness with social interaction and the second factor is termed tangible with informational support.
Discussion & social support scale (MOS) is a useful tool to use in medical implications survey.