Construct Validity of the Societal Outreach Scale (SOS)

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Physical Therapy Practice
• Public Health

Background:

• The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) advocates for increased professional focus on societal health.
• Physical therapists' social responsibility behaviors are not well-integrated into practice.
• Healthcare professionals must prioritize community health impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the 14-item Societal Outreach Scale (SOS) for use with practicing physical therapists.
• To assess the scale's reliability and construct validity.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey was distributed via email to licensed, practicing physical therapists in 10 U.S. states.
• A total of 2612 usable responses were analyzed using factor analysis.
• The study assessed construct validity and internal consistency reliability.

Main Results:

• A 3-factor model demonstrated the best fit for the data, labeled Societal-Level Health Advocacy, Community Engagement/Social Integration, and Political Engagement.
• Internal consistency reliability for all factors was 0.7.
• The 3-factor SOS showed acceptable validity and reliability.

Conclusions:

• The 3-factor Societal Outreach Scale (SOS) is a validated and reliable instrument.
• The SOS is recommended for measuring physical therapists' social responsibility and related behaviors.
• Further research is recommended for confirmatory factor analysis and tool refinement.