Dimensional structure of the demand control support questionnaire: a Brazilian context

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health Psychology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Job strain, defined as high demands and low decision latitude, is a key concept in occupational health.
• The Demand Control Support Questionnaire (DCSQ) is a shortened version of the Job Content Questionnaire, needing further validation.
• Previous validation studies for the DCSQ were insufficient.

Purpose of the Study:

• To reassess the dimensional structure of the DCSQ.
• To evaluate the internal consistency of the DCSQ.
• To validate the DCSQ as a measure of job strain.

Main Methods:

• 825 workers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, completed the DCSQ.
• Data collection involved self-administration at a hospital and interviews at restaurants.
• Confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation models was employed.

Main Results:

• Confirmatory factor analysis supported a three-dimensional structure: demands, skill discretion, and decision authority.
• Removing 'social support at work' and 'repetitive work' improved model fit.
• Internal consistency for demands was below acceptable levels (composite reliability 0.58, average variance extracted 0.32).

Conclusions:

• Skill discretion and decision authority are distinct dimensions within the DCSQ.
• The item 'repetitive work' should be removed from the skill discretion dimension.
• Further research is needed to confirm findings and refine the demands dimension of the DCSQ.