Developing and testing a draft scale evaluating older adults' perceptions of community-based connectedness with...

Objective　Connectedness is essential for maintaining the physical and mental health of older adults. However, measurements that consider the presence of community-dwelling people and explicitly focus on an individual's subjective sense of connectedness have not yet been established. This pilot study aimed to develop a draft scale that comprehensively measured older adults' perceptions of community-based connectedness with people.Methods　The scale development comprised three phases; item review, pre-test, and field verification. Phase 1 (item review) involved creating an item pool and evaluating content validity. Phase 2 (pretest) involved evaluating face validity and conducting item analysis on the preliminary version of the scale. Phase 3 (field verification) involved distributing the preliminary scale to 800 Japanese men and women aged ≥ 65 years residing in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan. Validity was assessed by factorial validity using exploratory factor analysis and concurrent validity using correlation analysis. Reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's α coefficient using the internal consistency method.Results　The evaluation of content validity in Phase 1 and face validity in Phase 2 yielded 30 items. In phase 3, of the 800 questionnaires that were distributed, 343 were returned, of which 309 included responses to all items and were analyzed. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in a 22-item scale comprising three factors that assessed perceptions of community-based connectedness. The Cronbach's α for the total scale was 0.967, and the α coefficients for inclusion, reciprocity through provision, and reciprocity through reception were 0.941, 0.915, and 0.928, respectively. The total scale scores were significantly positively correlated with purpose in life (rs = .453, P < .001) and negatively correlated with loneliness (rs = -.307, P < .001).Conclusion　The 22-item draft scale exhibited adequate reliability and validity. Perceptions of connectedness measured by this scale can be used to support public healthcare interventions for community-dwelling older adults.