Stop Using the Modified Work APGAR to Measure Job Satisfaction.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Psychometrics
• Workplace Psychology

Background:

• The Modified Work APGAR (MWA) scale is frequently used to assess job satisfaction.
• However, its psychometric properties have not been rigorously established.
• This lack of validation raises concerns about its utility as a comprehensive measure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct psychometric analyses of the Modified Work APGAR (MWA) scale.
• To evaluate the scale's validity and reliability using data from two distinct populations.
• To determine if the MWA scale accurately measures overall job satisfaction.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from a landmark occupational cohort and a clinical cohort of individuals with low back pain.
• Performed exploratory principal components analyses on the MWA scale items.
• Examined the factor structure of the MWA scale in both populations.

Main Results:

• In both occupational and clinical cohorts, the first five items consistently loaded onto a single factor.
• This factor was identified as a 'social support from coworkers' subscale.
• The remaining items did not form a cohesive factor related to broader job satisfaction aspects.

Conclusions:

• The Modified Work APGAR (MWA) scale demonstrates psychometric limitations for measuring overall job satisfaction.
• Its current structure primarily captures social support from coworkers.
• Researchers should consider alternative, validated instruments for assessing diverse psychosocial work characteristics.